MENZINGERS, THE - Hello Exile LP

Label: Epitaph

Since releasing their second album Chamberlain Waits in 2010 – a sizzling collection of whip-smart punk songs that piqued the attention of Epitaph Records – the Philadelphia quartet have been on a creative winning streak most bands would sell any possession you could name for. So, the question that faces sixth album Hello Exile is, where can you go from here?

In longtime friends and singer-guitarists Greg Barnett and Tom May they have two incredibly talented songwriters. On Hello Exile they cast their net wider to chronicle everyday people trapped in economic free fall or self-destructive patterns.

Musically, Hello Exile is their most sonically diverse album to date. With producer Will Yip once again handling the controls, the band has expanded their palette to include elements of classic rock, Americana, and a light sprinkling of country. The result is a polished, wide-screen rock record full of hooks, heart, and melodies.