Pissed Jeans – ‘Half Divorced’ album review: punk rebellion for an ageing audience
THE SKINNY: Pennsylvania’s Pissed Jeans have been largely quiet since the release of 2017’s Why Love Now. While many assumed the group had called it a day for good, it turns out that the American hardcore punk outfit were hard at work on a new album, Half Divorced, released via Sub Pop Records.
It is fitting that the group have stayed with Sub Pop throughout the majority of their career. After all, their retro-inspired hardcore sound is reminiscent of the sorts of releases upon which the legendary Seattle label was built. Despite the intervening seven years between their last album and Half Divorced, the band offer a somewhat disappointing lack of musical development. Yes, the sounds are reminiscent of early Sub Pop, but that was in the late 1980s. It is 2024 now, and perhaps it is time to move on.
On the whole, Half Divorced is a fairly enjoyable record, awash with the sounds you have come to expect from the Pennsylvania punks. Their adrenaline-fuelled buzzsaw guitars are no less enjoyable than they were twenty years ago, but that is just the point. In the past 20 years, the group have hardly changed their sound, a sound that was not incredibly original from the get-go. Throughout the album, you can clearly hear the influences of groups like Minor Threat, Hüsker Dü and Black Flag, which begs the question: what is the point?
Across the 12 tracks on Half Divorced, Pissed Jeans struggle to land upon an original thought. Their sound is largely derivative of their own influences, and while this is not always a bad thing, it becomes grating as the tracklisting progresses. At the heart of every great punk record are innovative sounds and daring lyrics, both of which are severely lacking in Half Divorced. Many of the songs on the album sound as if they were written by teenage punks who had just read their first Orwell novel. The cringeworthy lack of nuance or subtlety within the lyrics elicits more than a few eye-rolls across this album.
Half Divorced is not a terrible album by any means. Its main crime is simply a lack of originality. For pre-existing fans of Pissed Jeans, and followers of old-school 1980s punk and hardcore, there is much to be excited about across the album. In essence, it delivers what it sets out to deliver but offers little draw for new listeners or fans whose musical tastes have progressed since 2017’s Why Love Now.
For fans of: Wallet chains, an aversion to deodorant and a personality that has not progressed past the 1990s.
A concluding comment from Ben’s mother: “It’s just noise, I don’t understand how you can listen to it. Why don’t you put on something happier…like Wham?”
Half Divorced track-by-track:
‘Killing All the Wrong People’: There is no easing in to be had here, Pissed Jeans throw audiences right into the deep end of their fast, buzzsaw sound. A defiant anthem, though the lyrics leave more than a little to be desired. [2.5/5]
‘Anti-Sapio’: A more palatable effort, heavily reminiscent of old-school punk groups like Hüsker Dü. It is not their most original track, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. [3/5]
‘Helicopter Parent’: A bass-driven track, almost evoking the heavy rock and metal bands of the 1970s and 1980s. This song offers very little in the way of development or diversity within their sound, ultimately feeling like a bit of a filler piece. [2/5]
‘Cling to a Poisoned Dream’: Putting up the pace from their previous track, this song is characteristic of the adrenaline-fuelled punk rock that first gained an audience for Pissed Jeans. Upon listening, you cannot help but envisage the carnage of the mosh pit when hearing this in a live setting. [3.5/5]
‘Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars in Debt’: Punk rock for the middle-aged, this bass-heavy track is once again reminiscent of old-school punk and hardcore groups like Black Flag or Bad Brains. At this point within the album, the lack of originality is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. [2/5]
‘Everywhere is Bad’: This is the kind of nihilistic punk that you would expect from a young band playing grassroots shows in their hometown. Pissed Jeans, on the other hand, have been together for two decades and are all in their 40s. It is clearly meant to be a humorous effort, but it falls flat. [1.5/5]
‘Junktime’: The longest track on the album, and it is difficult to understand why. Aside from a somewhat cringeworthy spoken word opening, the song offers little variety in comparison to the other songs on the record. Its building intensity is fairly infectious, but as a whole, it feels drawn out and unnecessary. [2/5]
‘Alive With Hate’: Probably one of the strongest efforts on the record. Although, again, it never feels particularly innovative or exciting, it does affirm that Pissed Jeans are at least musically skilled and aware of what they are doing. [3/5]
‘Seatbelt Alarm Silencer’: The album rarely gives the audience a chance to catch its breath, but this song is perhaps the most raucous sonic assault throughout the whole record. The addition of guest vocals marks it as one of the most accessible and interesting songs across the album. [3.5/5]
‘(Stolen) Catalytic Converter’: Adopting a sound more akin to Sub Pop grunge than the hardcore punk they have purported so far, the song hints at a development in sound that is never fully realised. [3/5]
‘Monsters’: The shortest track on the album, ‘Monsters’ feels like a fairly unnecessary addition. Its hardcore styling is enjoyable enough, but the band seem just to be doing an impression of Minor Threat, so you would probably be better off just listening to MacKaye instead. [2/5]
‘Moving On’: Closing the record with one of the most interesting and enjoyable tracks so far, ‘Moving On’ shows that Pissed Jeans are capable of original thought. If only the rest of the album sounded like this. [3/5]
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