Album Reviews

If the crowd’s response at Groezrock during “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” was anything to go by, then the Menzingers are doing a very good job of becoming one of the most popular punkrock bands around. And listening to “Rented World”, I can only confirm that they more than deserve all the praise they are getting.

These guys first started cranking out quality tunes on 2007’s “A Lesson In The Abuse Of Information Technology” and haven’t looked back since. Their sophomore album “Chamberlain Waits” was even better and by the time “On The Impossible Past” rolled around, expectations were raised so high that it seemed almost impossible to deliver. Yet they did. And they do it again on “Rented World”.

Opener “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” is the kind of vintage Menzingers tune that I can listen to all day long. Upbeat, solid riffs, a singalong chorus that you won’t be able to get out off your head for days and the kind of emotional lyrics you can really relate to. The same can be said about “In Remission” and “The Talk”. But then the band throws in a song like “Where Your Heartache Exists”, a slow jam with the kind of guitar sounds that are more 90s alt-rock than punk. And “Transient Love” which comes with a dreamy pop sound that we haven’t heard from these guys before. Most of the time I’m not the biggest fan of acoustic songs on a pop-punk album because too often they seem like an afterthought but “When You Died” more than deserves a spot on this album.

I know I’m sounding kind of like a fanboy here but that’s because… well, I guess I am. The Menzingers continue to evolve with every single release and do so in all the right directions.