Punk rock is not for everyone. This genre’s aggressive beats are for a specific kind of listener. As an avid listener of Smino, it was a significant reach to review an album outside of my comfort zone. But the cover for the punk rock artists The Menzingers enticed me to try something new. While the album has some redeeming qualities, it could also reinforce my perspective of what punk rock is.
The Menzingers, initially formed in 2006, consists of four members: Greg Barnett, Tom May, Eric Keen, and Joe Godino. The Menzingers were most notable in the early 2010s as Philadelphia punk legends with multi-decade reputation. Their music is typically similar to punk rock, with a few songs that have a hint of country. They released their first album, “A Lesson In The Abuse of Information Technology” in 2007, making “Some Of It Was True” their ninth and most recent album.
“Some Of It Was True” has high energy, but the energy feels like it has turned into aggressiveness, which becomes undesirable. In this new album, The Menzingers stayed within the aggressive rock feel in this album, but when they did incorporate different genres, it seemed unorganized.
At first glance, the album has titles with a clear theme of hopelessness. From “There’s No Place in This World for Me” to “I Didn’t Miss You (Until You Were Gone),” the songs already set a strong image of what to expect.
The album’s first song, “Hope is a Dangerous Little Thing,” sets the tone for the rest. The song expresses the fear of not being good enough for someone when falling in love. After the introduction, powerful guitar and drums drive the rest of the song to a beautiful ending. Lyrics such as, “They say hope is a dangerous, dangerous little thing. To keep finding out the hard way. What tomorrow never brings,” demonstrate the central theme for the rest of the album: feeling hopeless in times people shouldn’t. The overall message is worthwhile, even if this album (or song) is not your cup of tea.
“There’s No Place in This World for Me” is somewhat repetitive, notably similar to other songs in the album, including “Nobody Stays,” “Try,” “Ultraviolet,” “High Low,” and “Running in the Roar of the Wind.” This song is one of the few in this album without a creative or lyrical edge to make it stand out. With the repetition of choruses throughout the album, specifically these songs, there isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
For someone more adventurous with genre-bending music, “Come On Heartache” is a country rock song that may interest some. This is one of the slower songs, with only a few parts of the track showing any fluctuation in volume or beat. As the title suggests, this song laments over being in a constant state of heartbreak, almost like a prison, “Some days it takes me everything I got just to endure another miserable thought.”
Even with the mixed bag of songs, there are some notable and exciting tracks. “Love at the End” and “Ultraviolet” were my favorites of the album. “Love at the End” is towards the album’s end, with the singer almost changing their perspective on love and continuing the hopeless romantic trope in the music. “Ultraviolet” is my favorite song. “Tell me, is there something in your silence? Tell me, is there something you’ve been hiding? The only thing I care about is you,” continues the setback experienced with love, just like other songs in the album. The song has a “pop” kind of feel, something I think people born in the early 2000s would enjoy.
I would listen to “Ultraviolet” again in the future as it felt most nostalgic and connective with me. The song reminded me of a Disney song where the main character has a comeback after encountering failure. If I were to listen to punk rock again, I would focus on more mainstream artists and then focus on more niche artists after getting comfortable with the genre. I think punk rock fans may enjoy the album, but this is simply not my cup of tea.
