The Menzingers - Rented World

Rented World is The Menzingers’ sophomore album on Epitaph Records. Building on their prior effort Chamberlain Waits, it sounds fuller, cleaner, and bigger, and sets the stage for the steady progression they’d continue across the next several albums.

This one still has grit. The vocals are still a little unpolished, but the clean riffs and almost impossibly catchy jams are everywhere. “I Don’t Want to Be an Asshole Anymore,” “Rodent,” and “In Remission” slap harder than almost anything they’ve done since. I’d liken the leap here to The Bouncing Souls’ jump from How I Spent My Summer Vacation to Anchors Aweigh. It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s change and progression. But it is a big shift.

The Menzingers are insanely consistent, putting out albums that feel great front to back, which makes it hard to believe this was their first real mainstream release. They make it look effortless.

If I had to give them one knock, and this applies to almost every release, it’s the lack of truly epic closers. It’s especially noticeable here, where the final track feels like a bit of a letdown. But after forty minutes of nonstop adrenaline, this is their exit. Their “I’m tired, boss.” Their cold beer after cutting the summer lawn.

The themes that dominate later albums like aging out, growing up, and family aren’t fully formed yet, but you can feel them creeping in around the edges.

Recorded alongside Will Yip (who's been their consistent partner since), Rented World captures the band right before everything clicks. It’s the sound of the party, we're currently there. For how long? I guess 3 more years.