It appears that god likes making me eat my words; last week I dissed hardcore bands, and this week I’m forced to admit that the band I’m reviewing – which I really like – isn’t that far removed from hardcore at all. The only difference is, they’re actually good.
Click Here to download the title track, “Searching for a Former Clarity.”
Despite the name, Against Me! (official site) seems less put-upon than upon-putting: Searching For a Former Clarity (amazon.com
In this album, Against Me! is preaching to the converted. These guys know their audience, and mostly they’re against the no-brainers: soulless corporate rock, the Bush administration, and assholes. When they’re lamenting, rather than complaining, the topics are equally accessible: “Why must I suck so much”? and “My life certainly sucks a lot, doesn’t it?” are the kind of shared themes we can all get into from time to time.
These themes, tried and true as they are, manage to sound fresh and meaningful due to the wonderful songrwriting. Normally I look at rock lyrics that don’t rhyme and think “laziness,” but Against Me!’s lyrics are as poetic as anyone else’s at their best, especially on the latter half of the cd, which tends more towards the soulful and ballady than the amped-up and raucous first half.
Some tracks merit special mention: firstly, the album’s opening track, “Miami”, which became an instant household hit thanks to its derisive chorus. My roommate broke his leg there earlier in the year (sing with me: Just like Miami! Miami! Fucking Miami!). Even if, however, you harbor no specific ill-will towards the city, you’re sure to be singing along as the damn thing’s just plain catchy.
Equally catchy is the fifth track, “From Her Lips To God’s Ears”, which is my personal favorite. Not only is it a pointed attack on the current administration’s policies, it’s got some background whoa-oh’s that are almost reminiscent of the Misfits, and hearing “Condoleeza!” shouted like a battlecry is just hilarious – maybe moving, depending on your mood and your opinion.
Of course, no album is truly compelete without a depressing song decrying alcoholic ruin. This album has several, including the standout “How Low” which is just, well, beautiful. Life isn’t all up-tempo, and neither are these guys. The title track, last on the CD, is simply beautiful (MP3).
Against Me! has a delightful ability to take their own problems, and their own emotions, and make them yours. Even if you’re not doubting yourself, hating the hypocrisy of the business you’re in, or afraid to call that girl back, you’ll certainly think that – if you were – you’d feel just like these songs. Self-referential, and personal, the downer numbers on Searching For a Former Clarity still come across as universal.
Oh, and he screams. It’s rare for any scream to sound so goshdarn pretty, but Against Me!’s lead singer manages it. Even after repeated listens, I’m not quite sure how. The caustic, almost phlegmy nature of the vocals makes every song rock with a capital RAWK, while sounding more soulful and personal, on the tracks that demand it, than a more polished vocalist would. Musically speaking, the album’s almost a cross between classic rock and punk-rock. The band is your traditional four-piece, and they’re great at what they do. Everything you love about punk is here, but there’s a feel to it – maybe from the production – that almost reminds one of Bad Company or some other 70s-rock creation.
If you’re not into screaming – occasionally ranting – about the typical things punk kids scream about, you’re probably not going to dig this album. But if there’s an angry guy buried inside you somewhere, that resents hypocrisy, corruption, dishonesty, and the inevitability of compromise, it just might be for you.