So much fun stuff came out this Friday that it’s hard to choose what to write about. However, one album I can’t seem to put down is Mean Jeans’ latest masterpiece Blasted. Clocking in at a succinct thirty minutes, it serves as a quintessential guide to crafting old school pop punk in 2024.
If I had to summarize Blasted in one word, it would be anthems. And if you gave me some leeway, each anthem would come with a different adjective, including misanthropical (I Don’t Give A Shit Anymore), party (Living Large On A Credit Card), nostalgic (Taco Bell Parking Lot, Look What Punk’s Done To You), motivational (Let’s Go), and break-up (Break Up With You).
Christian Blunda (aka Billy Jeans), Andrew Bassett (aka Jeans Wilder) and Richard Messina (aka Jr. Jeans) show us how it’s done and sound in top form. Blasted is a tight, smooth and precise record on which they effortlessly churn out infectious hooks and party choruses. And while ooohs and aaaahs, oooweeehoo’s and o-oohs can get tiresome in less capable hands, Mean Jeans make them sound like they’re the originators of the concept.
Blasted is out now on Fat Wreck Chords. It’s great.