Man Overboard – The Absolute Worst (Rise Records, 2011)

by Dave Sharp on Mar 06^th, 2011

Man Overboard’s new single “The Absolute Worst” completely disregards its name. The short, two track, six-minute release made an impression – no, a big fucking indent – on my brain. The first song on the single, “The Absolute Worst,” brings out the best of Man Overboard. Delivering the anthem-y pleasures of pop-punk and ripping on the female population with angst and anger, it brought me back to the good ol’ days of Blink-182’s similar creations. It was a pleasurable rush of guitar-driven and anger-filled music that satisfied my senses. The second track, “I Saw Behemoth And It Ruled” was slower in comparison to Absolute Worst, but that didn’t stop me from singing along. It delivers the same angst, and it was easy to just stop and say, “Wow, I’ve been there.” It’s a lot less angry than the first track, focusing more on the depravity of love and loss. The simple rhythms carried the vocals perfectly, didn’t over-complicate the song, and made it feel like an anthem.

Overall, I think this two song wonder is just fun. I catch myself singing back “Behemoth’s” “woah oh oh oh’s” over and over again. Its absolutely ingrained in my mind; I can’t wait to put these songs in my car so I can shout along the lyrics and criticize every girl that’s ever wronged me. It’s a self-righteous male ritual that makes these songs so valuable.

Reviewer: Matt Sharp