Now, Mom Jeans hasn’t put out a new record since 2018, and that, that is simply too long. However, the hype of knowing there was new music to come in 2022 was enough to get the ground rumbling. This was only extrapolated with their initial release “What’s Up?” which screamed the Mom Jeans brand. Let’s take a turn to see if this album was worth the wait.

Long story short: Yes, it certainly was worth the wait. This record pulls all of the elements of music together into a Mom Jeans warm hug. We get the pop punk approach to orchestration with a dash of the horns to supplement melodic lines that just glide over their foundational instrumental music. Alongside this beautiful foundation, Mom Jeans provides their characteristic vocal approach and timbre through which witty, catchy, and borderline comedic (at times) lyricism is emphasized.

This album makes you want to roll your windows down on a nice summer day and listen to it at full volume, which I would say is a crucial part to Mom Jeans because I still do that very same thing with their previous release “Best Buds.”

A lot of the thematic material from this record connects to the “Sweet Tooth” intentions. This helps to bring the story full circle to make the work very cohesive in addition to the tracks feeling as if they truly belong together on a piece of work.

For me, what makes Mom Jeans special is their approach to Pop Punk music as mentioned above. Those moments when the instrumentalists can just soar with their own segments to shine with the melodic material as if it is being passed back and forth between them and the lyrics is truly special. It is hard to make such a move not feel prescriptive or cliche in terms of flow and overall sound of the work. However, when Mom Jean does it, there is a seamless transition from each section to another.

The tempo and feel of the record mimics that of waves in the sea. Some are more upbeat and lively and others fall back to match the intent of the song. It is common to have a few slower tracks on the make for Mom Jeans, and the ones on this record- especially “Graduating Life,” feels as if it has been apart of the Mom Jeans discography for a long time.

“Sweet Tooth” makes me excited for Pop Punk music because this record reminds me of the root of the genre, while exploring modern approaches to music making and instrumentation. Mom Jeans reminds me a lot of Four Year Strong in the sense that you always kind of know what to expect, but you love that because it is familiar and it feels like home. For that, I am giving this record a 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you for keeping the Pop Punk flame burning sweet.

*”Sweet Tooth” was released on February 25th, 2022 through Many Hats Endeavors and Sequel Music Group.