MEAN JEANS
Blasted
(punk rock)
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Format: (LP)
Release: 09.02.2024
MEAN JEANS, the three-piece punk band from Portland, Oregon, was founded in 2006 and will release their sixth studio album “Blasted” on February 9th, 2024. This is now the fourth to appear under Fat Wreck Chords. The band members are big RAMONES fans, and you can clearly hear that.
All the instruments start right at the beginning and the lead guitar opens the album with a simple but catchy riff. As the song progresses, the bass comes through again and again and the rhythm guitar and chord progression are somewhat reminiscent of the RAMONES. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but the second song is titled “Let’s Go” and the lyrics continue in a correspondingly good mood: “Woho Ohoho”.
“Diagnosis” is about a child who thinks that something is wrong with him and therefore desperately wants to go to the doctor and get some medication. And “Lost My Mind” continues seamlessly. Apparently someone overfilled the tank and died in an accident – kids don’t do this at home. At 1:18, the song isn’t the shortest on the album, but the lead guitar provides a sieren-like hook.
MEAN JEANS stick to their songwriting recipe for success, simple, few rhythm changes, bass and lead guitar provide that certain something. But on “Blasted to the Moon,” for the first time there is some variety in the bridge and some vocal harmonies and canon vocals from the second half of the song.
In “Reggie” the lead guitar also starts with a concise main riff, and the bass drives the song forward with its groove – exciting, at the end there is a synth sound that sounds a bit like something from an 80s arcade -Game.
The drums on all songs are pretty straight forward, a lot of classic punk beats, relatively few fills and rolls but it fits the style. Every now and then there is a quiet “Uhuuu, or Ahhh” choir in the background, which gives the whole album a little more timbre. Here and there we also experiment with other sounds. Like in “Break up with you”, for example, a keyboard and bells are added, which gives the whole thing a touch of Christmas.
In general, a full, well-balanced and not too intrusive sound runs through the album. The bass definitely always brings momentum and the lead guitar has a recognizable character and inspires with short and catchy riffs. Many different sounds are mixed in here and there and break up the straightforward sound a bit. The lyrics are humorous and invite you not to take life too seriously. A nice soundtrack for an early afternoon when you have nothing to do other than sit in the sun and drink a beer or two with your friends – cheers.
Tracklist „Blasted“:
1. I Don’t Give A Shit Anymore
2. Let’s Go
3. Diagnosis
4. Lost My Mind
5. Blasted To The Moon
6. Something’s Going On
7. Reggie
8. Taco Bell Parking Lot
9. Look What Punk’s Done To You
10. Slugs
11. Break Up With You
12. Took Too Much
13. Don’t Know What I Did Last Summer
14. Living Large On On a Credit Card
15. Pop Punk Casualty
Total playing time: –
Band-Links:
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