Single Review: I Know Where Mark Chen Lives by Joyce Maynor

by Rowyn Belt

At the end of this month, California-native band Joyce Manor will release their album I Used To Go To This Bar. To make up for the wait, they released three singles from the upcoming release. The latest one, I Know Where Mark Chen Lives released on January 6, and provides contrast from the leading single of the album, All My Friends Are So Depressed. This pop-punk group, comprised of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, and Matt Ebert truly pushed the limits of their style with these singles, and let fans grow more and more impatient as they await the album.

The last release, I Know Where Mark Chen Lives, is a very lively song. Though it opens with only power chords, it provides a staple feel of the pop-punk genre. Qualities like gritty and imperfect vocals, a classic rock groove, a simple and repetitive bass line, and distorted chords in the guitar really drive the genre of pop-punk, and this song takes all of these qualities and sprinkles them throughout the tune. This tune is short, only lasting 1 minute and 50 seconds, but it still has clear direction and doesn’t feel rushed. The growth and decay of the song’s form is incredibly done.

Second song, Well, Whatever It Was, pulls in more pop influence with more aux percussion and lighter guitar parts making their cameo. Backing vocals that are reminiscent of the band Plain White T’s make their appearance in this track as well, bringing late 2000s nostalgia to this tune. It has a lot less focus on the larger beats of the song and allows vocal lines to really build the structure versus instrumentation, something to be valued across the board.

The leading single of the album, All My Friends Are So Depressed, is a more reserved song in comparison to the last two. Taking a more open, acoustic-esque approach, the tune is more indie sounding. I fell in love with the guitar and the emphasis of offbeats in this track, as well as the more natural-sounding vocal production. With skillfully placed drum fills throughout this song, however, you still feel the pop-punk identity seep through the indie layers above it.

Joyce Manor’s album is sure to be an amazing release. With just 3 singles out, the band has really kept this to themselves, allowing fans to feel the anticipation until January 30. I suppose we’ll just have to keep these three singles in our ears until I Used To Go To This Bar is released.