The Menzingers - On the Impossible Past
Rating
RIYL
Banner PilotThe Gaslight Anthem
The Flatliners
Against Me!
Release Date
02/21/2012
Label
EpitaphTracklist
1 Good Things2 Burn After Writing
3 The Obituaries
4 Gates
5 Ava House
6 Sun Hotel
7 Sculptors And Vandals
8 Mexican Guitars
9 On The Impossible Past
10 Nice Things
11 Casey
12 I Can't Seem To Tell
13 Freedom Bridge
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Having already ditched their ska-infused political punk a la Anti-Flag in 2009 when they signed to Red Scare and released Hold On, Dodge, The Menzingers have successfully completed their transition into a full-fledged Americana band with the release of their Epitaph debut On the Impossible Past. Picking up right where Chamberlain Waits left off, the band continues to refine their Gaslight Anthem meets Against Me! brand of punk rock, interweaving elements of rock & roll and country into their sound more than ever. Featuring more of the mature, pensive lyrics the band so excellently displayed on Chamberlain highlights like "Who's Your Partner" and "I Was Born," Past dazzles the listener over its forty minute run time. "Burn After Writing" and "Sun Hotel" are easily the best cuts from the record's first half, which is amazing in its own right but almost pales in comparison to the liberating feel of the second half. The title track provides an excellent lead-in to the album standout "Nice Things," which will no doubt become a fan favorite as its lyrics are bound to resonate with the band's rabid, cult-like following. "Casey" and "I Can't Seem to Tell" continue the fascinating story of rural life for a bunch of precocious twenty-somethings who have trouble dealing with the simplicity and monotony of the things they've encountered on a day-to-day basis. Although it's clear that The Menzingers consider much of life to be a series of dead ends and disappointments, there still manages to be a few glimmers of hope throughout. There's talk of love, friends, and the importance of staying grounded and remembering the good times while continuing to grow as a person.
On the Impossible Past, at its core, is an unstated concept record without the pretentiousness that usually accompanies one. This record is one of a kind, something that happens very rarely in a culture where the style is consistently more important than the substance. The storytelling is easily relatable but never dumbed down, and the album is much more effective as a whole because The Menzingers always put the message before the music. It sounds like something that should have come out a long time ago, but it doesn't sound dated. It's the type of record that demands your attention, but isn't overly complicated. Quite simply, it's just the thing to make the listener fall in love with music all over again.
--Timothy Golden
Comments
Reno, NV
Love this style music. Especially the stuff in the last couple years. Perfect blend of punk, Americana, Rock, and country. Glad I was made aware of this new album. Love it!
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
This is amazing. Should have listened to these guys when my friends started telling me about them.
Milford, ME
Took me quite a few listens to get into this, but I'm digging it now. Will probably be in my top 10 somewhere at the end of the year.
Green Brook, NJ
i love this band so much (obviously) but i can't get past the horrible album cover.
Salt Lake City, UT
tim, you are a weird fucking person.
http://www.sonnambulanaut.com/
^ Blogthing.
Green Brook, NJ
...says the guy who quotes himself in his signature. i really don't see what's so weird about what i said. that's probably the ugliest close-up of boobs i've ever seen in my life, and i don't see why they put that out as cover.
that cover is pretty ugly.