AGAINST ME! “New Wave”
The transformation of AGAINST ME! from their early days as a raw, unfiltered, off-the-cuff folk/punk band into their present condition of major label rock recording artists is nothing short of mind-blowing. It’s the classic story of an idea, a passion, taking hold and riding on along a force that seems unstoppable.
New Wave, the band’s fourth full-length, can be broken down into several lyrical themes: self-conscious reflection about the band’s placement in the music industry and the internal conflicts about joining a system that mostly pacifies a docile mainstream (“New Wave,” “Up The Cuts,” “Stop!” and “Piss and Vinegar”); political and social unrest in the wake of a seemingly endless and directionless war and the occasional embarrassment of American culture (“White People For Peace,” “Americans Abroad”); and a little bit of romance and storytelling too (“Thrash Unreal,” “Borne of the FM Waves of the Heart,” and “Animal”). Indeed it is a little strange that AGAINST ME! allocate 40% of New Wave to musings about the media and the music industry, but maybe the band is signaling to their fans that they didn’t make the jump to Sire on a blind leap of faith.
Whatever the band’s inspiration, New Wave thrives with Tom Gabel’s still-awkward verbal release, particularly on the infectious yet dour single “Thrash Unreal,” and the crunchy and biting “Piss and Vinegar,” the latter of which talks about band-to-band interaction and the silent charade that goes on to keep things “professional” in the face of opposing values and schemes (which Gabel neatly refers to as ‘aesthetic’ — guyliner anyone?). Musically, “Stop!” is the album’s most ambitious cut as it tilts unexpectedly towards a guitar-driven dance beat a la FRANZ FERDINAND. The song’s message of “Stop! Take some time to think, figure out what’s important to you,” is a bit on the hokey side of things, but without the doubt, the song is instantly memorable and begs for widespread exposure. “Americans Abroad,” is slightly trimmed down from the version that appeared on the band’s live album with a similar name and proves to be one of New Wave’s more straight-forward cuts. Two curveballs are thrown into the mix – “Borne on the FM Waves of The Night,” which is the much talked-about duet with Tegan Quin of TEGAN AND SARA,” and “Animal,” a painfully slow dirge of lust that borders on being creepy. “FM Waves,” is interesting because it starts off with little fanfare but builds with intensity that mirrors the literal meaning of the lyrics, particularly when Gabel and Quin sing “Too much momentum. This room feels like it’s going to explode.” Because it is a duet, I doubt AGAINST ME! will play “FM Waves,” live all that often, but the song’s emotional pull makes it a tantalizing few minutes.
While the youthful idealism and indiscretions that propelled AGAINST ME’s early years are long gone, that’s hardly a handicap. New Wave’s refinement, both lyrically, musically, and production-wise is step outward and upward (don’t let the “Butch Vig made them sound too polished” haters get to you – the recording is terrifically warm and balanced). Without “punk rock scene” anchors tied to each limb, AGAINST ME! skips playing a game that it cannot win and the result is a thoughtful, sturdily constructed rock album that is guaranteed a longstanding shelf life.
Sire
