Million Dollars to Kill Me

by Joyce Manor

Overview

West Coast emo punks Joyce Manor return with album number five, a wide-ranging affair that further expands on the more streamlined maturation of its 2016 predecessor, Cody. Like that album, Million Dollars to Kill Me spends less time revisiting youthful passions and instead continues to explore the more grown-up side of emo and pop-punk. While that may seem like a drag to fans of their more explosive and arguably weirder early days, good bands know that they need to evolve, and in Joyce Manor's case they've opted to sharpen their chops and aim for a more muscular pop sound. Working with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou at his Massachusetts studio, the California quintet move past some of their growing pains to turn in a thoughtful and overall solid set. Their hallmark brevity remains intact, with the catchy Weezer-esque "Think I'm Still in Love with You" being the only track to exceed the two-and-a-half-minute mark. Opener "Fighting Kangaroo" packs a robust sonic wallop and a rousing chorus, while mid-album standout "Silly Games" pairs an almost mechanical crunch with a pleasingly sweet glockenspiel and piano-ornamented arrangement. The closing track, "Wildflowers," is another highlight, showing frontman Barry Johnson's lighter side and veering more toward the wistful power pop of Teenage Fanclub than anything in the emo-related realm. It's notable that "Wildflowers" and the two aforementioned tracks -- as well as the similarly melodic "Friends We Met Online" -- were all co-written with Rory Allen Phillips (the Impossibles, the Artificial Heart), who also acted as producer on that final cut, suggesting that his influence on this album exceeds even Ballou's. Joyce Manor may still be finding their footing in this more mainstream rock field, but there's a lot to like on Million Dollars to Kill Me, indicating that they're moving in the right direction. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	09/21/2018
Label:	Epitaph
UPC:	0045778762217
Rank:	30404

Tracks

1. Fighting Kangaroo
2. Think I'm Still In Love With You
3. Big Lie
4. I'm Not The One
5. Million Dollars To Kill Me
6. Silly Games
7. Friends We Met Online
8. Up The Punx
9. Gone Tomorrow
10. Wildflowers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joyce Manor   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Andrew Scheps   Mixing
Kurt Ballou   Engineer,Producer
Rory Phillips   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Mike Bardzik   Vocal Producer
Brett Gurewitz   Engineer
Eric Boulanger   Mastering
Joyce Manor   Composer
Scott Arnold   Design
Peter Novoa   Engineer
Robert Cheeseman   Assistant Engineer
Hans White   Photography