Against Me!

Purist fans of these Florida anarcho-punks will likely cry "Judas!" when confronted with the band's surprisingly polished, Butch Vig-produced major label debut. But that just means there'll be more room at the foot of the stage for the rest of us. New Wave retains the ferocious, chant-along energy of Against Me!'s earlier work, layering in stacked vocals and chiming overdubs that sound both expensive and right. The lyrics still read like sociology texts, but who cares when they're delivered in frontman Tom Gabel's melodic howl?

You're not supposed to sing lines like "Similar trends in camera technique and editing" or
"Protest songs in response to military aggression." They're stiff, Latinate, artistically
self-conscious. But on a major-label debut following a breakthrough album all too rich in
intelligent angst, they're also ballsy, and with help from name producer Butch Vig, Tom
Gabel's emo-hardcore band makes them rock. Tempos are up half a notch, and G... More >