Joyce Manor: Joyce Manor

8.1/10

"You were drunker than high school" So, the pop punks seem to have finally made it out of there high school troubles.  Well not exactly, while they have certainly gotten their act together tightening up the band and the songs, they still can't seem to get past the girls who broke up with them.   Its less whiny though which makes it so much more palatable, take that along with some interesting lines about not being able to get their shit together and grow up and depression you have a a group that almost never hits the narcissistic pitfalls of their forefathers.  Tales of drunkery and lost friends, and of course love,    the never out stay there welcomes.  Getting to the point in the end is Joyce Manor's greatest strength. Quickly hitting the most inventive parts of there songs and then ending.  Constant Headache, the longest song on the album and the last clocking in around 3 minutes, sends off the album with an emotionally devasting finally reducing life to a constant headache only to be interrupted by gleaming moments of perfect happiness.  Easily a sentiment that could come from a whiny teenager, but theres a sad acceptance of in the song of this statement in its devastated utterance, and with the guitar powered singalong that concludes the song we reach one of those perfect moments.