Gregor Barnett, guitarist and co vocalist of punk-n-roll godfathers The Menzingers is set to release his debut full length record this coming Friday, and if you’ve been following the bands career over the years – then we’re sure you’ll agree it’s been a long time coming. Since the project’s inception in 2006, The Menzingers have gained a cult-like global following in all corners of the world, with seven full length studio albums and enough critical acclaim in the bag to fill some of the most prestigious venues in the US, Canada & mainland Europe combined. They’re a band who have yet to release a less than satisfactory piece of material and if the opening tracks of Don’t Go Throwing Roses In My Grave are anything to go by, then Barnett is aiming equally as high with his solo venture. Performed in a similar style to the 2020 rewrite From Exile (an acoustic themed delivery of the bands 2019 hit Hello Exile) each track on the debut is raw, emotive & poignant. It’s new and exciting, yet brings a warm connection to the youthful doubt that fills your teenage years.
‘Oh Lord, What Do You Know?’ sets the tone early on, however its track two ‘Driving Through The Night’ where this record really comes into its own with that distinct vocal flavour. It’s a track that has it all: nostalgic lyrics, melancholy undertones but still a brilliant feel good factor and gentle guitar licks that warm you up from the inside out. Followed immediately by the aptly named ‘The First Dead Body I Ever Saw’ the album takes a swift dive into a blues tainted funeral march. There’s a distinct morbid theme amongst the titling throughout, as tracks like ‘Talking To Your Tomb Stone’, ‘Hurry Me Down To Hades’ and of course the record’s title track all successfully balance sorrowful vocals with their own uplifting elements thrown in.
Punk rock roots are at play in every corner, and as the record comes to a close it’s composer has picked the perfect reflective conclusion as his latest body of work reaches its end. A slow and confessional balad, it’s a refreshing change to have the track so piano driven in comparison to the classic guitar go to. Evolving into an intense finish, it’s almost as if the record comes full circle – an ambitious concluding feat for it’s artists debut.
As a concrete member of such a revered project, it’s certainly going to be difficult for Barnett to project his own name onto a solo project without the soul focus being buried beneath Menzingers comparisons. Fortunately for him, this is a record that is wonderful in its own right. With his distinct vocal texture, it’s impossible for the album to avoid those classic Menzigners throwbacks, but we certainly hope that this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful solo career for an incredibly deserving musician.