For what it's worth I think the record flows much better sequenced like this: 1. Tellin' Lies 2. Thick as Thieves 3. Lookers 4. Midwestern States 5. Charlie's Army 6. Bad Catholics 7. Black Mass 8. Boy Blue 9. Your Wild Years 10. The Bars 11. After The Party 12. Livin' Ain't Easy Pretty minor change but Boy Blue into Your Wild Years is perfect and I think the middle of the record flows better with Bad Catholics moved up and House On Fire removed.
Meh, I think it's the weakest track on the album but you could keep it in there before or after Catholics. I think Boy Blue --> Your Wild Years is how those songs were intended to be listened to though, especially based on what the band has said about how Bad Catholics was intended for a split and a very late addition to the album. Also anyone who digs Black Mass and Your Wild Years should check out this (now defunct I believe?) band from Minneapolis called The Evening Rig.
I disagree with removing House on Fire but I hate where Bad Catholics is. Stuck between two of my favorites and I've found myself skipping it.
Listened to this album driving 20-30 mph through mountainous gravel roads exploring today in the late morning, as well as again as the sun went down driving through the town. "Get an album who can do both" Growing on me with each listen. Really, really great stuff.
I will never understand people rearranging track listings on albums. Do you also read novels by shuffling chapters around?
Eh I mean not all albums are narratives that play out in a linear fashion so that comparison doesn't work. Like you can read the chapters of Naked Lunch in any order and it makes the same amount of sense
This band can do no wrong. The romanticism of Midwest living, being in your late 20s, feeling past your prime......from Chamberlain Waits to OTIP to Rented World to this album, I feel like my life has been in lockstep with the progression of the themes in their albums.
Never thought I was going to like the new Menzingers album more than the new Japandroids album, but here we are.
Made an account just to comment on this album. I love it. As a big Menzingers fan.@ But I would say a few things. 1) The best song is After the Party and it's no coincidence that it's reminiscent of Time Tables in various ways. 2) The run from Charlie's Army to Boy Blue will be irrelevant in the Menzingers canon in the end. I don't dislike any song particularly but none of them are true greats. Edit: Actually I don't think the album would be worse without House on Fire. 3) The Bars sounds weird to me as a Menzingers song. If you played it to me a week ago I wouldn't have been able to tell you who it belonged to. Has a very Greenday ish vibe, don't get the Pup reference at all, as a fairly big Pup fan. 4) don't get the dislike for the last song. It's better than Freedom Bridge imo. I was Soooooo glad it wasn't acoustic
Really leaning towards this being their best ever. Boy Blue is the weakest song and is still much much better than the weakest few on OtiP
Not yet. Got an e-mail from MerchConnect/the band saying it would be delayed. The good news is that they want to do similar things moving forward for each headline tour... Which is pretty rad, if you ask me.