{"id":37539,"date":"2026-05-04T07:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T05:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/?p=37539"},"modified":"2026-05-03T12:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T10:09:22","slug":"album-review-i-before-e-i-before-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addtowantlist.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/04\/album-review-i-before-e-i-before-e\/","title":{"rendered":"New album: I Before E || I Before E"},"content":{"rendered":"

Born too late to catch \u201990s pop punk and punk rock in real time, I Before E (Brennan Buzinkai & Walt Staszewski out of Chattanooga, Tennessee) are busy building their own version of it in the 2020s. That\u2019s pretty much their whole deal, and we are here for it. When we first came across them on 2024\u2019s Criminal Record<\/em>, we heard a sweet mix Green Day, Lemonheads, and Big Drill Car<\/a>. On this debut full-length, you can throw Blink-182 into the mix as well, especially on opener Bring Me Down<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re here for innovation or left turns, you\u2019re in the wrong place. That\u2019s not what this band is about. But within those well-worn lanes, I Before E stand out for how pure these songs feel. There\u2019s an innocence and youthful energy running through the record that\u2019s hard to fake. They know when to stack harmonies, when to switch gears, and how to keep things moving without everything blurring together. The run of IOU<\/em> into Toxic Sand<\/em>, both early singles, is a perfect example of how sweet they can get without losing momentum.<\/p>\n

No rulebook rewrites here, just a band nailing that \u201990s sweet spot and riding it all the way through. I mean, they even have Mark deSalvo, who provided the art for many NOFX, Lagwagon, NUFAN and Pulley records<\/a>, doing the art for their record cover. These kids are more than alright!<\/p>\n