Against Me! - New Wave

LABEL:

Sire

GENRE:

Punk

RELEASE:

July 10, 2007

LENGTH:

33 min 33 sec

RATING:

Some bands change very little over time, while others add slight variations here and there to keep their sound fresh. And then you have artists that reinvent themselves with every release, creating a dilemma for fans who aren't sure whether to call the unexpected changes evolution or devolution. The first modern punk band that comes to my mind is Anti-Flag, who despite their consistent lyrical content, have gradually modified their sound with each release. I think you can see where I'm going with this. Against Me! is one of those bands whose inability to make up their minds consistently makes fans go, "what the fuck?" From anarcho-folk-punk to folk-punk to punk to borderline pop-punk, they appear to be well on their way to alienating every last one of their fans. That's the common feeling amongst the AM! faithful, however unlike them, I don't believe they peaked with The Disco Before The Breakdown or Reinventing Axl Rose. My favorite album of theirs is probably As The Eternal Cowboy, and Searching For A Former Clarity is decent, but not as good overall as its predecessor. Inevitably, Against Me! left the indie circuit for Sire Records, which cut a lot of hearts out, given that the band appeared to simultaneously ditch its anarchist roots for the a chance to make it big.

The result of this supposed betrayal is New Wave, a curiously titled album that continues down the path the band appeared to be destined for. I suppose it's expected of me to completely rip both the album and its creators apart, but fortunately for them, I generally reserve that kind of treatment for bands that actually suck. I wanted to hate this album from the first time I heard it but I just couldn't. There are too many good songs on it and despite my dedication to independent music, I can sometimes understand when certain people say that they're sick of sleeping on the floor. But make no mistake, I agree with the assumption that Tom Gabel is probably a bigger asshole now than he ever was in the past. That being said, let's take a stab at New Wave.

The first song is the title track, which immediately shows us what this album is headed for, being poppy, catchy and upbeat. Ironically enough, the next track, Up The Cuts, spends all of its time complaining about the music industry. It's a good song and I agree with the premise, but a song like this seems pretty hypocritical at this point. Then again, I guess they sort of still have the right to complain because, despite their major label status, they have not yet completely driven off the cliff into mediocrity. The single Thrash Unreal is unabashedly poppy as fuck, and I hear it on the radio every time I somehow find myself accidentally listening to it. The lyrics are pretty good, but they wasted a golden opportunity with the corresponding music video, opting instead for something shiny and meaningless. White People For Peace takes a peculiar stab at America's new anti-war fad, essentially claiming that, despite opposition and waves of protest music, no one is actually doing anything to stop the war in Iraq, or wars in general.

The disco-esque Stop is probably the most annoying song on the album, as Against Me! was clearly stuck in a 1970s time warp when it was written. Gabel somehow pulls off a duet with Tegan Quin on Borne On The FM Waves Of The Heart, and then launches headfirst into yet another song about how shitty your favorite band is, a base I'm pretty sure they already covered once on this record. The last two songs find Against Me! in new territory musically, with the sluggish former only bearable during the chorus and the latter being at the very least, refreshing and, oddly enough, in the same vein as the closer on their previous album, sporting internal conflicts about gender identity. The advantage is this time I don't get Freddie Mercury's weird little face in my head when I listen to it.

Overall, New Wave is a pretty good album, but it's nothing like the folk-punk that we're used to. Simply remembering that your preconceptions about this band mean pretty much nothing once they move on to their next project makes it easier to digest. The only track remotely reminiscent of the old Against Me! is Americans Abroad, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen them perform or listened to the live album by the same name. It's an old song, and it's pretty obvious. While this album breaks new ground only for those who exist solely near the center of the Against Me! universe, it's not nearly as bad as it could have been. As a result, I have decided not to disown Tom Gabel, at least not until he manages to create an utter travesty that makes me finally rip their patch cable pin off my backpack.