Everything I Ever Saw continues The Menzingers’ tradition of heartfelt storytelling through their signature Americana punk rock style. It's an album built on consistency rather than reinvention, leaning heavily into the formula of impassioned vocals and steady rock riffs that has made the band so beloved.
The use of Shin Noguchi’s street photography for the artwork immediately stamps the album with a recognisable personality, the same intriguing, sombre vulnerability that is present across most of their album covers is undeniable here. In fact, it is one of their strongest artwork choices, second only to 2017’s After the Party, and it feels like an intentional reference to their most popular album. Many of the tracks follow suit, “Better Angels”, “When She Enters My Dreams”, and “Everything I Ever Saw” are amongst those closest to their most honed style, but the standout track that usually sits on repeat for me with a new Menzingers album sadly never appears.
The rest of the album is a solid portrayal of the band’s musical skill. Highlight “Gasoline & Matches” subtly and skilfully introduces an electronic element to their sound, and boasts some of the strongest lyrics on the album, but doesn’t quite capture the magic of previous highlights. Here is where I’ll admit that Spotify recently informed me that 2019’s “Hello Exile” is my most listened to song of all time, and After The Party’s “Lookers” isn’t far behind, so the competition was always going to be fierce. That said, Everything I Ever Saw is solid, full of heart and still worth the listen.
While some tracks can blend into each other with their similarity, it’s easy to see that this is far from laziness and instead a deep knowledge and confidence in their own sound. Everything I Ever Saw is a dependable Menzingers album, instantly recognisable, rich in both lyrics and sound, and proof that sometimes continuing with a winning formula is enough.
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