Pop-punk fans are notoriously fickle. They are often unwilling to embrace bands who evolve their sound as they mature as artists and people, dismissing later records with the dreaded, immature, “Their first one is the best one” designation. With at least one stone-cold classic in their discography, 2014’s Never Hungover Again, Joyce Manor are experts at tweaking their sound incrementally without losing anyone along the way. Peers like PUP and Jeff Rosenstock have traversed the terrain of growing up and still writing pop-punk bangers, but it’s not as easy as those bands and Joyce Manor make it look.
I Used to Go to This Bar is one of the better chapters of this journey, finding the balance between maturing and staying close enough to the group’s signature sound to avoid alienating their base. If you are a Joyce Manor fan, you will find a few songs that instantly hook you. If you are new to the band, this is a great place to start, showcasing their different sides in just under 20 minutes.
Over a decade after their breakthrough, there are different concerns in Barry Johnson’s lyrics, but he’s still got a knack for setting compelling scenes and the occasional heartrending line. Instead of the aimlessness of youth, the songs in I Used to Go to This Bar are coated in death and loss. Johnson was always adept at weaving melancholy into even the catchiest early songs, so this isn’t exactly uncharted territory, but it shows further mastery of craft, as does the production. Working with producer/label head Brett Gurewitz, this collection eschews distortion in favor of emphasizing melody, even bringing in the occasional strings or harmonica, yet it still sounds distinctly like Joyce Manor.
Opener “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives” begins with a twitchy, restless verse before bursting into a huge chorus that’s begging to be shouted back at shows. It instantly takes its place among the best Joyce Manor tracks. “Falling Into It” is a Weezer-inflected pop song featuring synthesizers and a catchy riff reminiscent of the Cars.
One of the biggest swings is also one of the best moments. “My Friends Are So Depressed” is an acoustic track that resists the urge to burst into a loud chorus, opting instead for a sustained, subdued resignation. It is the foremost example of the growth on I Used to Go to This Bar, and along with “Mark Chen”, it’s the other instant Joyce Manor classic. Another track that showcases a more straightforward pop sensibility is “After All That You Put Me Through”. Johnson’s vocals sell the feeling of moving past anger to resignation.
The middle of the record highlights their transformation from scrappy, Jawbreaker-tinged punk to emo-inflected punk to the more indie pop sound of later records. The title track could have found a home on Never Hungover Again or Cody with its punchy melancholy. “Well Don’t It Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before” also has a bit of that agitated sadness, before a harmonica comes in for the closing. “The Opposum” is destined to become a live staple, with its shuffling riff that recalls a less unhinged Minutemen track.
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how our relationships to bands we love can feel like conversations between artist and listener. When groups grow with us, it just strengthens that bond. My critical pop-punk touchpoint is Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, but I connected with Joyce Manor instantly, seeing how they were doing this for another group of disaffected early twentysomethings. It doesn’t hurt that the music hums along with the hooky economy of Guided by Voices and a punk poet’s sensibility. Hearing them continue to grow and evolve keeps me coming back for more than just a nostalgia trip.