If pop punk inexplicably and dramatically burned to the ground in the late 00's (and it did), then here, in 2015, Jeff Rosenstock has risen from the ashes.
He has a quaint, almost picturesque origin story: in 1995, a twelve year old kid and his friend grab guitars and start playing Green Day covers, getting signed four years later and starting a modest music career as frontman for Bomb the Music Industry! and ASOB. Now, a good twenty years later, Jeff is some weird combination of 90's punk veteran, 00's punk underdog, and 2010's up-and-coming indie artist. The magic of We Cool? is how Jeff effortlessly pulls off all three while wrapping it all in natural, in-your-face charisma.
Based on the energy and vibrance of the most straightforward tracks on here, like "You, In Weird Cities" or "Hey Allison!", you would think Rosenstock and crew just plugged their instruments in for the first time and had a go at unleashing their youthful angst. But paying attention to the song writing and hook crafting on any one of these songs, it's clear that they are no musical tyros.
Especially look at the more diverse tracks, like "Polar Bear or Africa," "Beers Again Alone," or "Get Old Forever." Musically, these songs blur the line between punk and... well, whatever they want: indie rock, ska, Americana, chiptune. With their layers rich in sound, be it accordion or 8-bit synths, and still contributing naturally to the vibe of the album, it's clear that no one could write songs like these without polishing, even mastering, the punk aesthetic, musically and lyrically. They've hit that sweet spot of being around the block dozens of times but still be pumped up about the suburban view.
But then again, "pumped up" is only the right phrase to use if you completely ignore Jeff's lyrics. For example, any line from album staple "Nausea" is enough to show that Jeff doesn't feel as bright or chipper or excited about living as is the music he and his band play. "I got so tired of discussing my future that I started avoiding the people I love," he chants rather catchily on the choruses.
Or on the equally catchy "You, In Weird Cities," Jeff speaks passively and forlornly to the ghosts of bandmates past: "When I listen to your records, it's like I'm hanging out with you." It's sad, but in a way it's like the perfect lyrical manifestation of Jeff's rather unique position: gifted with punk charisma and songwriting talent to make punchy choruses, but cursed by his veteran-ship to look back on all his former bands, crashed on the rocks, in an almost-PTSD, depression-inducing state, he combines the two and this is what we get. It's intriguing and authentic.
Basically, I can't get enough of this album. It's picking up where the best of third wave punk left off, and yet it crafts its own unique sound that makes it more than the simplistic label of "punk." It's a spiritual successor to such game changing albums as Is A Real Boy..., Keasbey Nights, and even the likes of Dude Ranch. Even more exciting than the music itself, what I love most about We Cool? is that it opens up the exciting prospect that, if Jeff Rosenstock can make punk like this in 2015, maybe others will too.
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