3) MxPx – MxPx

Twenty-five years and twelve albums in, MxPx have made the best record of their career with their self released, self titled 2018 release. I wouldn’t dare post that on the Old School Tooth And Nail Records group on Facebook; I’d be crucified.  I recognize it’s a huge claim to make, but being a fan for as long as I have, I stick by it. Granted, I was only ten years old when the classics like Life In General and Teenage Politics were released. I was just a few years too early. If I would have been fifteen at that time, my tone in twenty-eighteen could very possibly be different. The mid90s Magnified Plad deserve to go down in history, but groundbreaking (which they were!) doesn’t mean superior. This is the superior time of life for MxPx. My pop leanings simply hold more weight than my punk leanings in 2018. It’s the same reason I thought Green Day’s 2016 Revolution Radio was better than many of their previous records – the heavy dose of pop is just so appealing.

The singles here are overwhelming. Friday Tonight pays homage to the classic 1995 comedy, while All Of It sets itself apart to be one of the best punk songs about love in recent memory. Album closer Moments Like This could only have been written 25 years into their career when they’ve had time to reflect and grow up. It’s moments like this, that I’m gonna miss, when I’m dead and gone and can’t kiss my kids. Will they look up to the sky and think about me?, Mike Herrera muses. We couldn’t relate to that in our teens, but we can now.  So do they.

Listen To: All Of It / Uptown Streets / 20/20 Hindsight / Moments Like This

(self released), June 25th, 2018