What does the television show The Office and the band The Menzingers have in common? They are both based in Scranton, Pennsylvania and they both kick ass in their own unique way. Sure there are other similarities like they are a group of people performing, have talented folks involved, use studios and so on, but that’s going off on weird tangents that no one cares about.
When The Menzingers stepped into the studio to record Rented World they had to know that they had a massive task at hand. Their 2012 release On The Impossible Past had critics falling all over themselves to praise it including Absolute Punk and Punk News who gave it Album Of The Year. Though to be fair to the band it’s an amazing album and completely deserves any and all praise heaped upon it.
On The Impossible Past is brimming with vivid imagery, soulful storytelling, gripping melodies and the vocals provided by Greg Barnett and Tom May were spot-on and fit the vibe of each song perfectly. From the upbeat lamenting of “Good Things” to the melancholic “Freedom Bridge,” and every moment of pure Pennsylvania awesomeness in-between, it’s a phenomenal album… so how does Rented World stack up?
It’s good… but in a different way than On The Impossible Past. It’s a little more soulful and thoughtful. The energy is more refined, the lyrics are more introspective and the vocals have a different grit and edge to them. The melodies are softer and slower and the whole album has a “peace after the high” vibe to it.
So what about progression and growth? While I was hoping for a follow-up that was more intense and filled with more piss and vinegar, I really enjoyed the introspective lyrics and crisp bi-polar melodies that seamlessly swing between optimism and melancholy work on Rented World. It’s like most, but not quite all, of the angst has been spent and now it’s time to look in the mirror and survey the damage.
All in all Rented World is not what I was expected for as a follow-up, but it still feels like a successful forward progression, especially when it comes to The Menzingers’ storytelling. Every song is a provoking exercise in emotion crafted from the raw materials of 26 letters, 16 stretched metal strings, 8 things to hit with 2 wooden sticks, and 4 human beings. Simply put, I like it and you should give it a spin.
Rating: 4.5/5