Pee Records – 28 Nov 2025
It’s a Black Friday miracle!
OK, not really much of a miracle, as I’ve had this promo on hand for a couple of weeks now.
The Australian melodic punk+ quartet Nerdlinger have delivered their first full-length in over seven years, and the big question of the hour is: was the wait worth it?
Well, for me it’s an unequivocal “YES” because, well, I’m already predisposed to liking this band. But seriously, you’ll dig it! They do a ton of things right, few things wrong, and seem to have been built in some secret warehouse with the sole purpose of walking both lines of serious and sincere, melodic and anthemic that really tickle my fancy.
Like its predecessor, 2018’s Happy Place, it is a big album. It tops out at fifteen tracks to the previous one’s fourteen. Nowadays in these times of single releases, streaming, and more EPs than before it can be a bit of surprise to find a punk LP that gets past twelve tracks/30-35 minutes. I’d hate to invoke oft-used idiom “all killer, no filler,” but here we are.
The album launches with the acronym track “WWMCD.” Standing for “What Would Millencolin Could Do” (yes, “Could“) standing as a love-letter to the enduring appeal of those Swedish legends of the genre, albeit with a lean towards the latter 3/4s of that band’s career, the slightly calmer end. Of course, Nerdlinger know which side their bread is buttered, and the follow-up “Face Down at Five Dogs” leans heavily into the blisteringly fast beat of melodic punk.
This one-two punch of songs also serves to tee up the listener to the lead vocals of Tim Bulmer (guitar) and Scotty McNairn (bass). While I try not to compare too much with previous releases I must note that, while McNairn’s vocal presence remains as robust and boisterous as before, Bulmer’s has taken on a bit of a more grizzled tone. This is not to his detriment, but is definitely noticeable on this new album compared to their previous LP (or the few interim tracks over the intervening years). As is their rhythm, throughout the LP one or the other will take lead and, on some songs, they’ll alternate directly to good effect.
As I mentioned previously, I’m hard-pressed to find a stinker in the bunch. But what sticks out more is how the band, who have always been melodic punk + adjacent, really stretch their wings in the songwriting department. From the catchy “Hard Questions” to the sing-along-ready “Battlegrounds (Hold Your Fire)”; The short and bombastic “Cognac Arrest” and the surprisingly stellar “Something.” This album grabs hold from the start and doesn’t let go until the final chords of “Buzzkill.”
And while we definitely see the band “growing up” in terms of composition and song-writing, “Bike Jumps and the Youth of Today” is definitely “growing old” as in “from the grumpy old man across the street” kind of thing, but also funnier than shit. Aside from that, it’s also a bit out of left field, coming as the most aggressively “punk” song of the bunch.
This does lead to one observation, though, that one could construed as being a bit negative, although that is not my intent, but I can see how someone would find fault: Nerdlinger are definitely wearing their influences on their sleeves here. Throughout you’ll land on part of a song few where you can pick out what band that has come before likely influenced this part or that. That’s not a dig, because they’re definitely not lifting riffs or verses, but it is there and, even on my first listen, I was remarking to myself “this feels like (insert veteran band here)” or “that’s got the vibes of (insert other veteran band there)” kind of thing. But instead of derivative, it feels good, coming off more as homage and appreciation.
Overall Growing Up Is Getting Old is a blast from start to finish. It’s the injection of sincere melodic punk that one craves, and done well at that. One could do worse than treat themselves this year with a copy or, of course, stream it. You’ll be glad you did.
Pee Records Bandcamp (Australia – digital DL, CD)
Pee Records website (Australia – CD, vinyl)
Disconnect Disconnect Records (UK – vinyl)
Negative Progression Records (USA – vinyl)
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He’s lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.