By Olivia Harrison
Staff Writer
Jeff Rosenstock is back again with his fifth full length album “HELLMODE.”
Unpredictable, disgruntled, filled with self-loathe and honesty, this album takes listeners on a journey through Rosenstock's mental state and thoughts combined with a whole bunch of distortion and volatile shifts in rhythm, tone and style.
The album was a good listen and more produced than his other albums “WORRY” and “We Cool?” The tone is more dialed back and easier on the ears — still keeping his aggressive pop-punk, midwest emo and ska (a mix of reggae and punk) style that made him famous.
Rosenstock became famous through his first band, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches.
In the 2000s, he was known for his band Bomb The Music Industry who performed “pay what
you want” shows meant for young high schoolers and college students who did not have a lot of money.
They were successful before their hiatus in 2012, and the band eventually disbanded in 2014.
It was during the 2012 hiatus that Rosenstock decided he would be better off doing music on his own.
Rosenstock then started releasing solo music, starting with his 2012 single “I Look Like S**t” and “Seven Summer Club” before his first full-length album “We Cool?” He then went on to release “WORRY” in 2016, “Post-” in 2018, “NO DREAM” in 2020 and finally his fifth album, “HELLMODE.”
Over the course of his discography, listeners have noticed his music getting more and more produced, straying away from the original, raw sound that made him rise in popularity. “HELLMODE” brings both these elements together, creating a new smoother sound. Rosenstock opens up “HELLMODE” with the first song “WILL U STILL U?” which deals with themes of relationship insecurity and low self-esteem.
It is a good opener and gets you hooked immediately. The instrumentals and vocals are strong, leaving the listener wanting to hear more. Most Rosenstock albums open with a power-ballad song full of intense lyricism. This draws the listener in and urges them to listen further to see what other songs are on the album.
His second song, “HEAD,” is chaotic as well, voicing Rosenstock's thoughts about the current political climate in America. He sings, “It’s currently obvious there are no fair elections / There is no constitution and there is no bill of rights.” These two opening songs set up the two main points of the album: internal conflict and political turmoil.
The album shifts to the third song, “LIKED YOU BETTER,” which is more mellow, and goes back to talking about internal discord. Rosenstock sings in “LIKED YOU BETTER,” “But it’s so f-ing tiring being tired all the time.” The lyric is relatable and stands out as a feeling a lot of listeners may feel throughout their lives.
“FUTURE IS DUMB” continues this topic, with Rosenstock talking about feeling as if the future is gone. Rosenstock sings, “The world doesn’t owe you.” The messy, distorted tracks add to the feeling of conflict as well as the song titles, which are in all caps, giving the listeners the impression of being yelled at.
The tracks are disorienting, leaping from one style to the next. Yet this sense of franticness is what makes this album and Rosenstock as an artist stand out from other pop-punk and ska artists. Lyrically, he is not afraid to be brutally honest and raw. Rosenstock does pay homage to fellow alternative-rock pioneer Weezer, with instrumentals reminiscent of their “Blue” and “Green” albums.
For example, in “I WANNA BE WRONG,” Rosenstock addresses police brutality. “GRAVEYARD SONG” addresses his experiences with toxic friendships.
Although messy, the album gives listeners an idea that through all this chaos, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
There is only one song that is on the more mellow side, “HEALMODE,” different from the title “HELLMODE.” Here, Rosenstock laments about his daily life and his existence, but adds how he is thankful for one person.
While the lyrics are depressing, the acoustic instrumentals are a nice change to the usual ska punk genre and screechiness.
It is a beautiful song and could even be interpreted as a love song, with Rosenstock singing, “Perfect lazy days are all I need and all I need is you.” It’s great for the middle of the album, which leads listeners into the songs with a more mellow tone.
“I WANNA BE WRONG,” “GRAVEYARD SONG” and “3 SUMMERS” are more mellow, cozy and gentle, helping to bring the album to a climax while concluding that life is filled with crazy conflict both internally and externally, but somehow, one will survive. It also teaches one to be thankful for the small things in life.
Over the course of his career, Rosenstock’s music has greatly improved as well as influenced other artists of the pop punk genre. “HELLMODE” is a distorted, lyrical masterpiece that anyone from any walk of life can relate to. The album was a great listen and listeners cannot wait to hear more from Rosenstock.
