Breaking through the airwaves with their recent releases: “All My Friends Are So Depressed” and “Well, Whatever It Was,” Joyce Manor has called on constant headaches ahead of their long-awaited 2026 album drop, I Used To Go To This Bar.

SoCal hailing, alt-pop outfit Joyce Manor, are rolling out their first full-length in three years via EpitaphRecords on Jan 30. Rooted in youth-grasping nostalgia, exploring brooding disillusionment and the bleakness of the mundane, the two preview tracks vastly diverge from the band’s branded tone, leaving fans wondering… will the rest of the album follow suit?

On AMFASD, the band has broken from their string of grungier-textured tracks, taking a hyper-pop sonic and synth-infused approach to an otherwise thematically dark song. Remaining true to the underlying contrast of weighed-down, emotional lyricism, but beneath a vibrant and energetic rhythm, the band still managed to uphold that cathartic irony they’re renowned for. The track’s undoubted catchiness and apparent, clean production was received as a risk they pulled off well, landing the trio at slot No. 22 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay Chart.

The track “Well, Whatever It Was,” delivers tight melodies and playful, well-worn riffs with an unserious and light-hearted storyline of getting run over by your dream car and getting laid off from Little Caesar’s. Listeners have taken on both critic and fan roles — some praise their departure from the rugged energy definitive of their earlier work, noting that the emotional resonance that brought them to these heights is still upheld. Others express a longing for a non-diluted take, reminiscing a more rough-edged version of the band that initially drew them in. But with a moody and satirical inflection still obviously present, isn’t evolution inevitable? I think Joyce Manor’s ability to traverse a genre they’ve been defined by for more than a decade, while maintaining nods to their roots is reflective of their maturity and a sign they’re not slowing down anytime soon. Backed by the production of Bad Religion co-founder Brett Gurewitz, the preview tracks allude to an overall experimental record, full-throttle from start to finish. Fans are anticipating the end of January to finally hear all nine tracks. Hoping to hear the album live, listeners can find tickets for their upcoming Spring U.S. tour via their website.

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