Album Review: POST- - Jeff Rosenstock
9.0/10
To call Jeff Rosenstock underappreciated is to make one of the biggest understatements in music, as any member of the underground rock/punk scene will be more than happy to remind you. Rosenstock began his career as the frontman of an infamous ska punk band by the name of The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, a group known for their raucous live shows and firm commitment to DIY ethics. Upon the dissolution of ASOB, Rosenstock formed the even more notorious music collective Bomb the Music Industry!, a band so DIY that they would encourage fans to perform live with them (provided they knew the songs and brought their own instrument). Concurrently, he founded Quote Unquote Records, the first entirely donation funded record label. After the demise of BtMI!, Rosenstock embarked on a solo career and began fronting and working with a variety of projects including Antarctigo Vespucci, Kudrow, The Bruce Lee Band, Laura Stevenson (a former BtMI! member), PUP, AJJ, and The Smith Street Band. Rosenstock has also been acknowledged to have started the concept of "pay what you want" albums, a once novel concept that has become the standard in independent music. Of course, society largely credits that invention to Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, both of whom brought the idea of a scene legend to a mainstream audience without giving proper credit. In his solo career Rosenstock has released three proper albums, with POST- being his third. First came We Cool?, a brilliantly introspective examination of both Rosenstock's personality and role as a individual that contained many glimpses of the artistic fire that would define his next record. 2016 saw the release of Rosenstock's magnum opus, WORRY., one of modern rock's most incredible (and timely) breakthrough albums, to his usual critical acclaim and a new, relatively high level of exposure for the punk king. Thematically, WORRY. focuses on issues of race, poverty, and police brutality under recently elected conservative leadership, and has become legendary in certain communities for the its uncanny ability to predict absurd political crises even after its release. It also shares the story of Rosenstock meeting his wife, and the cover is a photo taken from their wedding. WORRY. featured a Beatle-esque second half, with each song running perfectly into one another in a medley of music that jumped genres from hardcore punk to classic rock to pop to ska, often within one song. The success of this record was further highlighted later in the year, when it was named USA Today's album of 2016, an unheard of level of success for a man who once took pride in never claiming credit for his work. Due to the success of WORRY., public expectations were high for his next work which was released as a surprise on New Year's Day of 2018.
The testicular fortitude it takes to follow one of the most notable breakthrough albums of this century with a completely unpromoted surprise release on New Year's Day is admirable. Never one to concern himself with sales, promo, or really any of the music industry's traditions, Rosenstock prefers to drop the album and let his work speak for itself (and oh boy it has a lot to say). POST- covers a lot of the same ground as WORRY., from political angst to love and everything in between. However, unlike his previous record, POST- shows little of the determined unity that coursed through America's veins after its disastrous election. This album projects a dejected, strung thin mentality in regards to change. That is not to say the same drive and energy is not there, but rather that it is being funneled into anger instead of optimism. "Melba" is the only generally happy song here, and even that joy stems from the daydream of ditching life and moving to Australia. Rather than use its punky energy for invigoration, the album uses its heaviness for a sort of back-against-the-wall attitude. Nonetheless, many of Rosenstock's typical rallying cries are found here, some bigger than ever.
One of the most interesting aspects of Rosenstock's music, whether he knows it or not, has been how classic-rock-informed it is. This has always been a subtle flavoring to his music (he's way too cool to outright own it, although his reverence for ska is then equally confusing), one that is retrospectively obvious across his work but not so apparent when listening. Take the Springsteen-esque bar-room sing-a-long that closes out the intro track of WORRY., or the obviously Abbey Road inspired medley that ends the project. Rosenstock's most interesting appropriation of classic rock has usually taken the form of self-aware theatricality, his songs playing with quiet-loud dynamics, overly emotive lyrics, and a Broadway styled approach to songwriting and lyricism. Again, "We Begged 2 Explode" and the medley illustrate this perfectly, overblown to the point of looping back into sincerity. This has led Rosenstock's music to sounding like the perfect midpoint between Elton John, Queen, The Clash, and Black Flag (and for those who are new to his music, yes it is as awesome as that sounds). The hugeness of Rosenstock's sound is amplified by the record opening and closing with his two longest tracks ever, as well as two of his most ambitious. "USA" opens the record with an explosion, a seven minute tear-down of its title country that builds into a monumental outro. The last five minutes of this track are somewhat Pink Floyd-ian (or, more likely, another cooler psych band), with a buildup that leads into a spacey, mantric synth section which then transitions back into another climax with a bassline taken straight from a Roger Waters tab book. Dizzying. The song ditches its psychedelic influences during its last minute and a half for the return of Rosenstock's punk theater, featuring a chorus of children and all. "USA" showcases more ideas in its seven minutes than most bands pull together during an album, and easily could have been split into a few songs. The record's closer, "Let Them Win," is the sonic opposite of "USA." The song begins at a trudging tempo, and does not pick it up (HA) from there. "Let Them Win" is the sonic equivalent of a brick wall, a massively slow and determined number that rarely deviates from that lumbering tempo. However, all the varying elements that make "USA" an incredible track are displayed here too. "Let Them Win" contains an EP's worth of ideas, and builds to a jaw-dropping crescendo around 3:20 into the song with a well timed expletive and epic return from the band. The next five minutes of the track are an... aesthetic decision from that I am still wrapping my head around. The album closes with five minutes of droning synthesizers, set in sharp contrast to the bombastic rock that preceded it. All in all, both of these tracks do well to illustrate much of what makes Jeff Rosenstock such an incredible songwriter. His unbelievable talent for hooks, climaxes, lyricism, and observation comes through in full force on these two and they serve as fittingly giant book ends for POST-.
Aside from the record's two obvious standouts (in more than just length), the meat of the album is also some of the best music to be released in Rosenstock's dizzyingly prolific career. Here is where he lets his hook-writing shine. Make no mistake: the album's opener and closer are as catchy as any song here, but their length and constantly shifting dynamics make them ill-suited for any brain-off listening. Luckily, there is much to be enjoyed between these epics. "Melba" might be the best pop-punk track Rosenstock has ever released, with its earworm verse melody and a chorus that is all too easy to shout along to. "Beating My Head Against a Wall" is competing with White Reaper's "Party Next Door" for the best blatant Ramones homage of the last few years. "All This Useless Energy" and "Powerlessness" are fuzzed out perfection, glorious pop in conjunction with Rosenstock's dejected genius lyricism. All of these tracks carry a massive amount of energy, thanks to Rosenstock's brilliantly talented backing band, as well as his propulsive songwriting and frantic vocals. Most notable here is the fact that every one of these "filler" tracks feels necessary. There isn't a track here that could have been left off the record (which has always been one of Jeff's strengths). Every song has so many ideas and is so painstakingly crafted that there's no way to think of this album without them. This streamline is one of Rosenstock's most admirable traits. His albums always give an an impression of grandiosity, yet never delve into extended track lists (granted, WORRY. was 17 songs, but had a medley of minute long ideas and still topped out at a brisk 38 minutes). The hugeness of his music stands for itself, creating profound works of art through the efficiency of his lyricism, the scale of the instrumentation, and the economy of his track listing.
The final two songs of the album to be discussed are "TV Star" and "9/10," and they do not fit in with the rest of the album. They are somewhat more akin to "USA" and "Let Them Win," although they resemble the album's bulk at times as well. They serve as the record's ballads, and exemplify many of the things that make Rosenstock such an incredible songwriter. They have the sort of puppy-eyed Broadway sadness that runs through many of his best works, as well as the bitter cynicism that keeps them from complete pompousness. Sonically, "TV Stars" is more of a power ballad than "9/10," which remains fairly lowkey throughout its run. In the past, Rosenstock has typically preferred to take the energetic route with his songs, and if they started slow you could bet they would be a production (pun intended) by the end. The restraint shown here is an impressive leap forward for Rosenstock, and he finds even newer mechanisms to make his music enjoyable. These songs lean into their lyricism, their hooks, and their construction even more than his usual music, which never lacks those elements but can often bury them under layers of energy. These two songs serve as an interesting change of pace for the album, although similar small respites can be found elsewhere on the record (like the various synth sections he has thrown into some of the songs).
In terms of Jeff Rosenstock's solo career, POST- is a fitting cap to the trilogy thus far. It exists as a solid middle ground between the fairly traditional (but excellent) power-pop punk of We Cool? and the unchecked genre soup that is WORRY. That is not to say that there is nothing new to be had here (not as much as WORRY., but even that record was occasionally jarring in its stylistic switches). Rosenstock's flirtations with lo-fi on many of the songs here feels fitting for such an exhausted record, and his experiments with ambient synths are interesting, to say the least. The expanded song lengths do not hinder the record at all, largely due to their varying structures. In all this is possibly his most accessible record, from the magnified theatricality to the ridiculous hooks. His lyrics take just different enough of a tone and remain so crushingly insightful that they manage to feel fresh, despite covering much of the same ground as WORRY. Generally, POST- feels like a summary of the things that make Jeff Rosenstock's music remarkable, a sort of exhibition of his talents as a songwriter and bandleader. Even though the year has barely started, Jeff Rosenstock has already released one of its highlights, a top 10 record of the year without a doubt (unless 2018 delivers on its musical promises in an unprecedented manner). Rosenstock has also hinted towards plans with Antarctigo Vespucci and will undoubtedly be active in touring and production, leading to another busy year. For a man who sings about being "tired and bored" with such unwavering passion, he sure does keep himself occupied, much to the benefit of all that enjoy his art.
LISTEN TO: All of it, but especially "USA" "Yr Throat" "TV Stars" "Melba" and "Let Them Win."
The testicular fortitude it takes to follow one of the most notable breakthrough albums of this century with a completely unpromoted surprise release on New Year's Day is admirable. Never one to concern himself with sales, promo, or really any of the music industry's traditions, Rosenstock prefers to drop the album and let his work speak for itself (and oh boy it has a lot to say). POST- covers a lot of the same ground as WORRY., from political angst to love and everything in between. However, unlike his previous record, POST- shows little of the determined unity that coursed through America's veins after its disastrous election. This album projects a dejected, strung thin mentality in regards to change. That is not to say the same drive and energy is not there, but rather that it is being funneled into anger instead of optimism. "Melba" is the only generally happy song here, and even that joy stems from the daydream of ditching life and moving to Australia. Rather than use its punky energy for invigoration, the album uses its heaviness for a sort of back-against-the-wall attitude. Nonetheless, many of Rosenstock's typical rallying cries are found here, some bigger than ever.
One of the most interesting aspects of Rosenstock's music, whether he knows it or not, has been how classic-rock-informed it is. This has always been a subtle flavoring to his music (he's way too cool to outright own it, although his reverence for ska is then equally confusing), one that is retrospectively obvious across his work but not so apparent when listening. Take the Springsteen-esque bar-room sing-a-long that closes out the intro track of WORRY., or the obviously Abbey Road inspired medley that ends the project. Rosenstock's most interesting appropriation of classic rock has usually taken the form of self-aware theatricality, his songs playing with quiet-loud dynamics, overly emotive lyrics, and a Broadway styled approach to songwriting and lyricism. Again, "We Begged 2 Explode" and the medley illustrate this perfectly, overblown to the point of looping back into sincerity. This has led Rosenstock's music to sounding like the perfect midpoint between Elton John, Queen, The Clash, and Black Flag (and for those who are new to his music, yes it is as awesome as that sounds). The hugeness of Rosenstock's sound is amplified by the record opening and closing with his two longest tracks ever, as well as two of his most ambitious. "USA" opens the record with an explosion, a seven minute tear-down of its title country that builds into a monumental outro. The last five minutes of this track are somewhat Pink Floyd-ian (or, more likely, another cooler psych band), with a buildup that leads into a spacey, mantric synth section which then transitions back into another climax with a bassline taken straight from a Roger Waters tab book. Dizzying. The song ditches its psychedelic influences during its last minute and a half for the return of Rosenstock's punk theater, featuring a chorus of children and all. "USA" showcases more ideas in its seven minutes than most bands pull together during an album, and easily could have been split into a few songs. The record's closer, "Let Them Win," is the sonic opposite of "USA." The song begins at a trudging tempo, and does not pick it up (HA) from there. "Let Them Win" is the sonic equivalent of a brick wall, a massively slow and determined number that rarely deviates from that lumbering tempo. However, all the varying elements that make "USA" an incredible track are displayed here too. "Let Them Win" contains an EP's worth of ideas, and builds to a jaw-dropping crescendo around 3:20 into the song with a well timed expletive and epic return from the band. The next five minutes of the track are an... aesthetic decision from that I am still wrapping my head around. The album closes with five minutes of droning synthesizers, set in sharp contrast to the bombastic rock that preceded it. All in all, both of these tracks do well to illustrate much of what makes Jeff Rosenstock such an incredible songwriter. His unbelievable talent for hooks, climaxes, lyricism, and observation comes through in full force on these two and they serve as fittingly giant book ends for POST-.
Aside from the record's two obvious standouts (in more than just length), the meat of the album is also some of the best music to be released in Rosenstock's dizzyingly prolific career. Here is where he lets his hook-writing shine. Make no mistake: the album's opener and closer are as catchy as any song here, but their length and constantly shifting dynamics make them ill-suited for any brain-off listening. Luckily, there is much to be enjoyed between these epics. "Melba" might be the best pop-punk track Rosenstock has ever released, with its earworm verse melody and a chorus that is all too easy to shout along to. "Beating My Head Against a Wall" is competing with White Reaper's "Party Next Door" for the best blatant Ramones homage of the last few years. "All This Useless Energy" and "Powerlessness" are fuzzed out perfection, glorious pop in conjunction with Rosenstock's dejected genius lyricism. All of these tracks carry a massive amount of energy, thanks to Rosenstock's brilliantly talented backing band, as well as his propulsive songwriting and frantic vocals. Most notable here is the fact that every one of these "filler" tracks feels necessary. There isn't a track here that could have been left off the record (which has always been one of Jeff's strengths). Every song has so many ideas and is so painstakingly crafted that there's no way to think of this album without them. This streamline is one of Rosenstock's most admirable traits. His albums always give an an impression of grandiosity, yet never delve into extended track lists (granted, WORRY. was 17 songs, but had a medley of minute long ideas and still topped out at a brisk 38 minutes). The hugeness of his music stands for itself, creating profound works of art through the efficiency of his lyricism, the scale of the instrumentation, and the economy of his track listing.
The final two songs of the album to be discussed are "TV Star" and "9/10," and they do not fit in with the rest of the album. They are somewhat more akin to "USA" and "Let Them Win," although they resemble the album's bulk at times as well. They serve as the record's ballads, and exemplify many of the things that make Rosenstock such an incredible songwriter. They have the sort of puppy-eyed Broadway sadness that runs through many of his best works, as well as the bitter cynicism that keeps them from complete pompousness. Sonically, "TV Stars" is more of a power ballad than "9/10," which remains fairly lowkey throughout its run. In the past, Rosenstock has typically preferred to take the energetic route with his songs, and if they started slow you could bet they would be a production (pun intended) by the end. The restraint shown here is an impressive leap forward for Rosenstock, and he finds even newer mechanisms to make his music enjoyable. These songs lean into their lyricism, their hooks, and their construction even more than his usual music, which never lacks those elements but can often bury them under layers of energy. These two songs serve as an interesting change of pace for the album, although similar small respites can be found elsewhere on the record (like the various synth sections he has thrown into some of the songs).
In terms of Jeff Rosenstock's solo career, POST- is a fitting cap to the trilogy thus far. It exists as a solid middle ground between the fairly traditional (but excellent) power-pop punk of We Cool? and the unchecked genre soup that is WORRY. That is not to say that there is nothing new to be had here (not as much as WORRY., but even that record was occasionally jarring in its stylistic switches). Rosenstock's flirtations with lo-fi on many of the songs here feels fitting for such an exhausted record, and his experiments with ambient synths are interesting, to say the least. The expanded song lengths do not hinder the record at all, largely due to their varying structures. In all this is possibly his most accessible record, from the magnified theatricality to the ridiculous hooks. His lyrics take just different enough of a tone and remain so crushingly insightful that they manage to feel fresh, despite covering much of the same ground as WORRY. Generally, POST- feels like a summary of the things that make Jeff Rosenstock's music remarkable, a sort of exhibition of his talents as a songwriter and bandleader. Even though the year has barely started, Jeff Rosenstock has already released one of its highlights, a top 10 record of the year without a doubt (unless 2018 delivers on its musical promises in an unprecedented manner). Rosenstock has also hinted towards plans with Antarctigo Vespucci and will undoubtedly be active in touring and production, leading to another busy year. For a man who sings about being "tired and bored" with such unwavering passion, he sure does keep himself occupied, much to the benefit of all that enjoy his art.
LISTEN TO: All of it, but especially "USA" "Yr Throat" "TV Stars" "Melba" and "Let Them Win."
