Ranking The Menzingers’ 6 Albums
One of the highlights of the 2010s, The Menzingers managed to steer the direction of punk’s course through their use of personal, storytelling lyrics and layered musicality. While their style may, at times, come across less like punk and instead embody more of a bluesy rock edge, their lyrics have a way of connecting and relating to many in the punk scene.
The band is made up of co-vocalists and guitarists Greg Barnett and Tom May, with Eric Keen on bass and Joe Godino on drums. Through their 14 years, they’ve yet to have any lineup changes and I think this consistency really comes out in their music, with each album adding another layer of shared maturity amongst their members.
The consistency of the band also relates to consistently stellar albums. Although they’ve made changes between each album (sometimes only small tweaks) they haven’t really put out a bad album or even have any particularly bad songs (more-or-less). This quality of output made ranking their albums particularly difficult, especially 1 through 5, but I think the list I’ve come up with is a fairly comprehensive one.
To rank the albums, I listened to each of them several times over a period of a few weeks, giving each album a fighting chance and not basing the ranking on first impressions.
6. Hello Exile (2019)
The great thing about this album is it’s the only one that was easy to rank and while I fully believe it’s their worst record, that doesn’t mean I necessarily think it’s a bad album, but rather it’s missing the special ingredient that makes the other albums exemplary. Likely on purpose, Hello Exile lacks the urgency of previous albums. While all of their other releases have had slower, more ballad-esque songs, none have over-relied on them like this one.
Maybe it’s for the better we both stay strangers forever
Maybe it’s for the best we pretend like we never met
The runtime of the album (the longest of their catalogue) particularly emphasizes the slowness — several songs seem to overstay their welcome. The lyrics this time around, while still well-crafted, seem to lack the same growth others did with subject matter retracing the same steps as older tunes. Overall, it’s still a fine album, but half the album is somewhat forgettable, and as good of a band as The Menzingers is, that puts this album at the bottom.
Recommended Tracks: Strawberry Mansion, Strangers Forever, & Anna
5. Rented World (2014)
To give an idea how close these records are, I think Rented World is a fantastic record featuring well constructed songs oozing with the descriptive and personal stories the band has become known for. It features a couple of my favourite Menzingers tracks (“The Talk” and “In Remission”), the former a song about quitting smoking which can easily be applied to a jaded relationship. The latter, “In Remission” is peak Menzingers lyrics, including all those little details allow the listener to self-identify.
I hate how I always get nervous every time I try to speak
In front of a big crowd, a pretty girl, or the police
Placing the album this low meant I had to really nitpick parts of this album. As far as their records go, I’m not the biggest fan of the production on this one, with parts of it sounding a little hollow and overproduced. There’s also 3–4 songs that are just average for the band, but 2 of them are the longest songs on the record which also helps to bring the ranking down some. Besides Hello Exile, I would say Rented World has the weakest closing track. The band’s outro songs are usually slower, but this one really drags the last minute or two.
Recommended Tracks: The Talk, In Remission, & Rodent
4. A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Tec… (2007)
Surprisingly, this was an album I didn’t end up getting around to until the later part of 2019, but I’m glad I finally did as it’s not only a solid addition in The Menzingers catalogue, but also shows the band in a different light. The style and lyrics on A Lesson… are full of youthful angst accentuated by the general rougher tone. It would be inaccurate to say that the album feels inexperienced, but rather that it shows a slightly unsure starting point for the band. The lyrics for example, while energetically spry, don’t feature nearly the same kind of wordplay and depth as later records would have — this point is almost explicitly expressed through the use of vocal modulation on some tracks.
Every day’s the same, loneliness all the haze
So we live our lives and we have our fun
While he wraps his lips around the gun
What’s great about the record, and why I’m glad it exists, as it’s a blast to listen to, but at the same time I’m also happy they didn’t continue down the same direction as I think it would’ve ultimately ended up stale. If there’s one aspect I wish they would’ve carried with on future albums, it would’ve been the bass tone and level mix as I think it really accentuates a lot of songs here.
Recommended Tracks: Alpha Kappa Fall Off A Balcony, Ave Maria, & Sir Yes Sir
3. Chamberlain Waits (2010)
The record that first introduced me to the band, I remember at the time I only liked a couple tracks and was turned off by the screaming vocal style found on some songs. Oh how things have changed. Chamberlain Waits is now seen by me as a breath of fresh air for the genre. A record that is able to relay the feelings of so many listeners, the nostalgia of a time and place, but without ever relying on any overused techniques that many contemporaries were guilty of.
I was raised inside a bible,
I was living off life support,
Unilateralist!
Single mattress!
Guilty Friday nights
Chamberlain Waits is a very well-rounded record, full of the band’s different styles so that no particular avenue gets over-explored. Even though there aren’t any glaring issues with the album, it still isn’t able to avoid any scrutiny. This is their shortest album, at least 7 minutes shorter than any other release, and while there’s nothing wrong with a quick album, this record would need to be flawless to become #1. With the next two albums both over 10 minutes longer, and this one containing a couple just okay songs (“Male Call” & “Rivalries”) it ever so slightly misses a higher spot.
Recommended Tracks: I Was Born, Home Outgrown, & No We Didn’t
2. On the Impossible Past (2012)
This was the album that made me realize the band wouldn’t be just a passing phase. The 1–2 kick of the first two tracks still hasn’t been topped (in fact, these are my all-time favourite songs from the band), as they’re both chalked full of so much vitriol and overflowing emotion. In fact, if I was to rank these albums on only the first halves — this would be the best. The A-side is pure perfection with every song effortlessly flowing into each other — each with their own specific style.
What I’d give for your caress
To see your blue cotton dress
Balled up on the floor
Certain memories are the problem
Certain drunken lines are the shame
Although the second half of the record is far from bad, the first half is so good that the difference is noticeable. For example, the song “On the Impossible Past” is one that I could argue is a ‘bad’ song, although it’s saved from complete scrutiny by being short and helping setup the song “Nice Things”. Ultimately On the Impossible Past contains some of the band’s best songs and lyrics… and it shouldn’t be missed.
Recommended Tracks: Burn After Writing, Good Things, & Ava House
1. After the Party (2017)
Strangely enough, I was fairly disappointed by this album when it originally dropped. At the time, I thought it lacked the same energy found on previous releases. After I gave it enough time, I began to realize that the album has a consistent energy boiling within it throughout, but chooses to unleash that force in a more calculated manner. The theme of getting older and trying to find your place in a world/genre characterized by youth is carried out expertly with each song further honing in on this mentality.
We put miles on these old jean jackets
Got caught up in the drunk conversations
But after the party, it’s me and you
Given repeat listens, After the Party proves to be the band’s most cohesive record. There isn’t really a skippable/filler track to be found (“Black Mass” maybe — it doesn’t work as a standalone, but fits well on the record). If you recently turned 30, especially if you never expected to make it past your 20s, this album is the soundtrack to the feelings that can grip you during this transition.
Recommended Tracks: Tellin’ Lies, House on Fire, & Charlie’s Army
