AJR, Neotheater | Album Review 💿

New York alt-pop collective AJR returns with an intriguing third studio album, ‘Neotheater’ which exemplifies millennial spirit.

“But I’m weak, and what’s wrong with that? / Boy, oh boy I love it when I fall for that.” Sigh, AJR (Adam Metzger, Jack Metzger & Ryan Metzger), comprised of three brothers from New York, make quite the interesting collective.  AJR delivers their own unique brand of pop – yep, it’s definitely alt-pop that’s a bit more left-field than many of the songs gracing the Top 40.  Some adore them, while others cry foul of the collective’s millennial-styled alt-pop. Regardless of where you stand, the Met brothers have their fair share of positive attributes, which they showcase on their intriguing third studio album, Neotheater.

“Next Up Forever”

✓ “Next Up Forever” kicks off Neotheater with a bang as AJR struggle with a common fear of all – growing up and getting older.  Following the enigmatic, lush intro, Jack Met begins to ‘spell out’ his insecurities, paranoia, and fears.  Some of the things that have Jack perturbed are releasing Neotheater itself (“Let’s push it back another week”), sex (“I kinda wish I was still a virgin”), and graduation (“I’m kinda scared of graduation / ‘Cause who am I when this is done?”).  Basically, Jack doesn’t want youth to ever escape him, even if ultimately, he realizes, “I know I gotta grow up sometime,” despite the fact he’s “Not fucking ready yet.” This sleekly-produced, relatable joint is a fantastic way to begin the LP.

“So, thank you / For coming to my birthday party / I am one-minute-old today / And everything is going great (oh).” Okay! ✓ “Birthday Party” brings the clarinet to a modern pop record… that’s not something you hear every day. Besides the recurrent, jazzy clarinet lick, the production shines, courtesy of Ryan Met. “Birthday Party” sounds exuberant, optimistic, and robust in regard to sound. The most robust moment occurs during the aforementioned chorus, which is also the catchiest moment of the song. Beyond the chorus, there are the sometimes-cheeky and clever lyrics on the verses, capturing that millennial-pop characterization associated with AJR.  This “Birthday Party” is pretty intriguing to say the least.

“100 Bad Days” 

“Woah, when all is going wrong and you’re scared as hell / … Maybe a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories / A hundred good stories make me interesting at parties.” One of the biggest pro for ✓ “100 Bad Days” is the sick production work.  Groovy from the onset, “100 Bad Days” is chocked-full of awesome sounds, including the anthemic, brassy chorus.  During this same section, Jack Met sounds incredibly passionate vocally, dropping the strongest section of the record.  Interestingly, the final two lines of the pre-chorus (excerpted above) kicks off the chorus, which continues, “…Yeah, no I ain’t scared of you / No, I ain’t scared of you no more.”

On the verses, Jack Met highlights ‘bad’ happenings exemplifying the ‘millennial’ tilt.  On the first, he sings, “Remember when we all got drunk? / I ended up with two broke thumbs.” On the second, matters of love have him feeling bad – “Remember when she broke my heart / Waitin’ for the waiter to return my card?” But, as the chorus made crystal clear, Jack and company are turning bad into good, or something along those lines.

Nothing screams millennial more than “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” where AJR seem to want to “have their cake and eat it too.” While it’s an example of a cornier moment from Neotheater, it’s not that far-fetched.  Jack Met sums it up best when he sings, “‘Cause I wanna move out / I don’t wanna move on.” “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” is clearly has that ‘Next Up Forever’ syndrome.  “Break My Face” is interesting, thanks to its play on two famous proverbial phrases: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  Of course, Jack doesn’t stay true to either, transforming them to “What doesn’t kill you makes you ugly” and “Life gives you lemons / At least it gave you something.” The ugly line weaves right into the chorus: “So, if I break my face, and I don’t look so great / My face is just my face.” Oh brother!

“Turning Out, Pt. ii” 

✓ “Turning Out, Pt. ii” slackens the pace, following up “Turning Out” from The Click.  Here, the vocal duties shift to Ryan Met, who gets ‘in his feelings’ regarding love.  Ultimately, on this electric piano-fueled ballad, he asserts, “I think I probably wasn’t in love with you / I think I probably loved the idea of you…” ✓ “The Entertainment’s Here” reinstates the groovy nature that characterizes much of Neotheater. In addition to the groove, “The Entertainment’s Here” is blessed with lovely rhythmic piano, jazzy horns, and a sound that’s idiomatic of R&B.  Once more, Jack handles the vocal duties, delivering his pipe in rhythmic fashion, with his fair share of pitch-shifted moments.  Entertaining indeed.

“Karma” picks up the pace and sounds incredibly optimistic.  That said, “Karma” isn’t optimistic lyrically.  Despite the fact that Jack Met has “Been so good… working [his] ass off,” he admits, “Still, I’m lonely and stressed out.” Again, if it needed to be reiterated, the millennial spirit is in full effect.  Speaking of the full effect, tongue-in-cheek is in full effect of “Beats” where Jack sings, “Would Beats by Dre pay 20K / For us to say that they are great? / Recording costs for this whole song / Could all be paid by Beats by Dre.” Give AJR credit for understanding their audience – “Oh, my demographic will click on anything graphic.”  “Beats” is quite a busy record… maybe a bit too busy and overblown.

“Wow, I’m Not Crazy”

The unique, energetic, and sarcastic writing style of AJR continues to shine on “Wow, I’m Not Crazy.”  The record begins up-tempo, with some alt-folk sensibilities, before eventually turning into more of an EDM, electro-pop record.  It’s idiomatic of the collective if nothing else.  Penultimate record ✓ “Dear Winter” actually pulls things back, something that Neotheater needs after so many ‘big-sounding’ records.  Don’t let the more minimal nature of “Dear Winter” dissuade you – it’s still incredibly colorful, particularly with a couple of curse words thrown in.  “You know I cannot wait to teach you how to curse / But shit, I gotta meet your mom first.”   

“They wanted heaven from me / I gave ‘em hell / Now they want something bigger / I’m overwhelmed.” “Finale (Can’t Wait to See What You Do Next)” is expectedly the opposite of “Dear Winter” – a robust, sleekly produced pop record.  This is a great way to close Neotheater, with the pre-chorus and chorus sections shining brightly, not to mention the choral vocals and the orchestral cues.

Final Thoughts

So, how does Neotheater stack up? All in all, it’s an intriguing alternative pop album from AJR.  Like the collective’s music of the past, it won’t be for everybody, but fans should be on board without a hitch.  Sometimes, the productions get a little too big, but more often than not, that is part of the draw of AJR.  The lyrics don’t hurt either, even if sometimes, they are a bit too, um, millennial.

✓ Gems: “Next Up Forever,” “Birthday Party,” “100 Bad Days,” “Turning Out, Pt. ii,” “The Entertainment’s Here” & “Dear Winter”

AJR • Neotheater • BMG Rights Management • Release: 4.26.19

Photo Credit: BMG Rights Management