[Full Album] DESCENDENTS | "Cool to Be You" (Patreon)

As this punk rock journey continues, the opportunity to go deeper on a single artist (versus going wider on the scene as a whole) really feels invaluable sometimes when looking at the big picture. And, when a band sticks around long enough to write music from a different emotional vantage point, I feel like I can start putting names with faces—literally, figuratively, and especially musically. These aren’t just “cool songs” I’ve reviewed anymore—these are bands I'm genuinely starting to love.

After diving into 1996’s Everything Sucks last year, I was curious how Descendents would follow it up. Turns out, they evolved into something much more emotive without losing too much of the sound I first fell in love with. Cool to Be You feels like a letter written a few years after the storm clears. There’s still some bite, but it’s packaged with more self-awareness and reflection. And, while some of the youthful aggression has mellowed into something a bit more digestible, the emotional weight hasn’t gone anywhere—in fact, this album contains some of the more difficult tracks I've ever tried to musically dissect. I think that's all part of the brilliance, especially when considering some of the album's subject matter.

If Everything Sucks was a cathartic scream, Cool to Be You seems like a deep exhale...and both seem pretty darn vital to the band’s story.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
2:55 - "Talking"
10:30 - "Nothing with You"
16:41 - "She Don't Care"
23:55 - "'Merican"
30:04 - "Dog and Pony Show"
35:07 - "Blast Off"
40:56 - "Dreams"
48:05 - "Cool to Be You"
57:55 - "Maddie"
1:05:56 - "Mass Nerder"
1:13:18 - "One More Day"
1:22:33 - "Tack"
1:26:54 - "Anchor Grill"
1:35:37 - "Dry Spell"
1:42:39 - Final Thoughts