The Menzingers Return With New Album 'Everything I Ever Saw'

The Menzingers' debut visit to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024 was rapturously received by patient local fans, who had to endure a five year long wait thanks to the long tail disruptions of the COVID lockdown era. The Pennsylvania punk rock champions' new album Everything I Ever Saw arrives during darker political times than their prior long player Some of It Was True (2023). When we chatted with guitarist / vocalist Greg Barnett in 2024 as the US election cycle was getting grim, he expressed, "We need to save democracy — we need to put someone in who can make sure that Trump doesn’t get in."

Ambassadors of the impassioned rock anthem, there's a worldliness to these tunes which suits The Menzingers' two decade veteran status and inevitable changes in their lives, recorded at producer Will Yip's Memory Music Studios in Philadelphia. Which is not to say the energy is flagging. Barnett's voice is in full gusto form for the album's belting opening three song salvo, piano rock singalong 'Other People's Money' is practically a lighter waving event, 'She Enters My Dreams' takes flight with a buoyancy akin to Future Islands, and 'The Fool' rolls (knowingly misguided) romantic aspirations into one fist-pumping package.

Barnett revealed to Kerrang his songwriting for Everything I Ever Saw represents a personal pivot towards finding strength from within, sparked by his new status as a dad: "Instead of dealing with your inner torment or whatever, it’s time to step up and be the person you’ve always wanted to be." Make a wish The Menzingers' next visit down under won't take too long to happen and crank up Everything I Ever Saw — out today via Epitaph Records...

'Everything I Ever Saw' is out today via Epitaph Records.