First Listen Thoughts: Machine Gun Kelly - Mainstream Sellout

1. Born With Horns: Starts off strong but when it slows down and MGK hums it's a little annoying. Thankfully it picks back up. Not quite the start Tickets To My Downfall had but it's a good enough song. 

2. God Save Me: This is a pretty catchy bop. So far I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of the first 2 tracks given the very mixed reaction to the singles.

3. Maybe: This was by far my favourite single I heard before the album released and I hope one day it can take over the top streamed song from Emo Girl. Bring Me's feauture is excellent and worth all the hype.

4. Drug Dealer: Musically it's very similar to God Save Me just 200 times more Cringe. Also not a Lil Wayne fan though I appreciate him putting melody into his feature. 

5. Wall Of Fame: God damn interludes. At least Pete is funnier in this one than his appearance on Tickets To My Downfall which was downright cringe.

6. Mainstream Sellout: This is a banger. MGK just seems to know how to tackle the self-titled tracks on his albums. It's fast paced and energetic. Probably the deep cut of the album since the rest of this album is singles heavy but I'll happily be wrong.

7. Makeup Sex: Blackbear's feature is the best part of this song and although it's not as high intensity as some of the other tracks I might enjoy this one musically the most... But those lyrics. Oh boy! We'll see what happens with this song having more time at this rate it's a borderline on my year end top 100.

8. Emo Girl: I don't mind Willow's feature and although the music is more upbeat than the other singles I didn't like this one just might be too cringe to get behind and also MGK wrote this about Megan Fox in Jennifer's Body? Trap music wasn't even a thing. I can't get past that line.

9. 5150: This appears to be people's favourite MGK solo deep cut from this album given it has the most streams and I know I praised the title track earlier but 5150 is definitely better and I'm basically 100% certain nothing will be better.

10. Papercuts: What a boring song to kick off this new era with. Thankfully thus far nothing has sounded close to this musically.

11. WW4: Maybe a little too close to current events but it's the fast punk rock song clocking in around a minute in length. MGK did one of these on the last release and I enjoy it when it comes up but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it so read into that what you will and this one seems weaker after 1 listen.

12. Ay!: This is an easy pass. This seems like it would fit closer on MGK's promised rap album coming out later this year but he liked it so he wanted it out earlier. It's a no from me though Dawg.

13. Fake Love Don't Last: The chorus of this song is really solid. I wish the verses were as strong, Iann Dior's feature is also forgettable like his feature on his last song with MGK, it's not bad just doesn't add anything to the song that could use some help.

14. Die In California: The 808 beat is a little too high in the mix and given it's the only instrumentation it just loops and overpowers the vocal parts. although some of these features are bad so I don't mind it at some points but the chorus is the highpoint. 

15. Sid & Nancy: They really buried this gem huh? This is a much better "love" song than Emo Girl.

16: Twin Flame: Like Emo Girl, I get why he made this song, I really do. But that doesn't make it good. The slow songs I've heard he is able to sound emotive but this one just sounds flat.

Overall thoughts: This album could've been better simply cutting down the tracklist. Put Ay! and Die In California on the upcoming rap album. Ditch Twin Flame and move Drug Dealer, Makeup Sex or Emo Girl down to the final track to break up the cringe in the middle. Do all that and I think this holds up as a worthy successor to Tickets To My Downfall. Unfortunately this does not hit those highs but also not nearly as bad as I thought given the singles so that's a plus. 

Special: First Listen Thoughts: Machine Gun Kelly "Tickets To My Downfall", The Menzingers "From Exile" and Mayday Parade "Out Of Here"

Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall

Label: Interscope Records

Press release: In 2019 MGK released his fourth studio album, Hotel Diablo, which ended with the track "I Think I'm Okay", a more rock-leaning song collaboration with Yungblud and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. MGK, wishing to explore the sound further, booked a day in recording studio to work with Barker, to record what would become the song "Bloody Valentine". The session was so powerful to MGK that he asked Barker to set aside two months for them to collaborate on an entire studio album, to which Barker obliged.

My thoughts: This album has it's fair share of heat (Title Track, Forget Me Too, Jawbreaker) but the slower songs and the numerous interludes don't mesh as well for me after one listen. That being said the singles grew on me more and more as I listened to them so I have no doubt the album as a whole will as well. (Editor's note: After listening to this album more I can confirm I've come around on Lonely but I really still don't like the spoken word interludes which sucks because at the end of the Meagan Fox one the music is actually good but not worth listening to due to the conversation that starts it.)

The Menzingers - From Exile

Label: Epitaph Records

Press release: Philadelphia-based punk band, The Menzingers will release From Exile, a reimagined stripped down version of their 2019 release Hello Exile. From Exile was recorded from the band’s respective homes while in isolation during COVID-19 stay at home orders. The album will be released digitally on September 25 and on vinyl November 13.

My thoughts: I love The Menzingers. Not too many old punk bands can pull off the emotionally raw lyricism they can so this album should be right up their lane right? Not so. First off I'm disappointed they couldn't even give us one new song. Secondly with the exception of Anna and some of the strings on the record I didn't really feel like they did anything to these songs to warrant going back to. I think I'll just stick with Hello Exile going forward.

Mayday Parade - Out Of Here

Label: Rise Records

Press release: Alternative mainstay Mayday Parade has announced the release of Out of Here – a brand-new EP due out on October 16th, 2020 via Rise Records. In early March, Mayday Parade stepped into the studio with longtime collaborators Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount to record the EP which is the first new material for the band since their 6th studio album Sunnyland released in 2018.

My thoughts: With only 3 songs there's not much to say about this EP, though it is a strong listen, I can see myself going back to any of the 3 songs though I Can Only Hope started off a bit too dark for me it picked up and became an anthem by the end of the song. Mayday Parade have been a consistently positive band throughout their career and all 3 songs have the same theme of hope which is nice if you needed that little bit of positivity in your life. Just throw on this album and within 10 minutes you'll be in a better place.