Does modern production make newer pop punk/emo feel less “of the era” even when the songwriting fits?

I’m newer to this subreddit and am absolutely loving it here so far! For some context, I’m 36 and currently having a full-on pop punk/emo/post-hardcore renaissance.

Like a true millennial, I grew up on all of it, fell off for a while and am now revisiting a ton of older bands while also checking out newer ones people keep recommending. I’ve been listening to Hot Mulligan and really like their sound.

I’ve been trying to keep an open mind about newer music in these genres, because there definitely seem to be some curmudgeonly old head takes out there and I really don’t want to be that person. I also just genuinely like hearing new music.

But I think I’m starting to understand at least one small reason why some older listeners feel that disconnect. A lot of these newer songs absolutely could have existed back when I was growing up from a songwriting/melodic standpoint, but they still sound very obviously modern to me and I think part of that is the production.

Everything is so clean now. You can hear every instrument, every layer, every note really clearly. Older records felt fuzzier, messier and a little more chaotic. The newer stuff I’ve been listening to sounds great, but the cleaner production kind of breaks the illusion for me and immediately tells my brain “this is new”, which I fully embrace. It should sound different. It’s a different time!

I noticed the same thing with the MCR’s Three Cheers remix/remaster. I actually liked being able to hear some parts more clearly, but it also made me realize how much the older mix itself was part of the feeling, beyond just the nostalgia.

I’ve dabbled in very amateur production and play a few instruments, so I could just be paying more attention. Anybody else hear this? Especially people who record, mix, play? Is it mostly just better technology and modern standards? Do some producers deliberately try to keep a little grit/bleed/chaos in there?

Also, if anybody in San Diego is looking for people to jam with, lmk!