Album Review // Joyce Manor // I Used to Go to This Bar

Epitaph Records

4.5/5 stars

I never felt my age until I turned 30, and suddenly, everything was measured in the age of the media I consumed growing up. It was a shock to look back on Joyce Manor's classic self-titled debut being over 15 years old, and it feels almost just as shocking to hear that they haven't changed a bit. Sure, vocalist Barry Johnson's gritty yell is more restrained and less often deployed; his lyrics have sharpened, and there's a little more acoustic guitar in the band than there used to be. But the California three-piece have simply graduated from being power-pop prodigies to power-pop veterans, making I Used to Go to This Bar a victory lap of sorts. Having most in common with their 2016 career highlight Cody, IUTGTTB has the kind of songwriting that feels accessible to new audiences while boiling down the band's strengths into a 19-minute career retrospective. There are what feel like homages built into every nook and cranny of the album, from the Pinkerton-esque synth tones of "Falling Into It" to the Sum 41-aping opening lick of the album's title track. But even beyond the bells and whistles, Joyce Manor is capable of writing songs like "The Opossum" and "Grey Guitar," which feel destined to be setlist staples in another 15 years.