Far From Crime - By John Adams

Artist: Against Me!

Album: New Wave

Comments: New Wave is the first cd put out by Against Me! since switching from Fat Wreck Chords to Sire Records and the common complaints are all over the internet, people say Against Me!’s latest effort is over produced and it doesn’t even sound like the same band any more. I can agree with one of these statements. The cd isn’t over produced, that’s just what cds from major labels sound like, it’s a much cleaner production. As far as Against Me! being a different band, I completely agree, sure there are elements that remind you of their folk-punk past but now Against Me! is just a rock band.

The cd opens up with the title track, one of the faster and more upbeat songs on the cd. "New Wave" and "White People for Peace" are the only two songs that come close to reliving the sound produced on Reinventing Axle Rose and As The Eternal Cowboy. The title track is more or less the mission statement for the cd, it lets the listener know that the band is looking to broaden their horizons and expand both their music and their fan base. A reoccurring issue on the cd is about going out and making the music that you want to hear and what you think is good, songs like “Up the Cuts”, and “Stop”.

The song that really makes you realize that Against Me! isn’t the same band any more is “Borne On the FM Waves of the Heart”. “FM Waves”, tends to sound like a New Pornographers song especially with the guest vocals of Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara, and the style of the guitar playing. The only song on the album that is really optimistic is “Piss and Viniger” which showcases Gable’s anger with the way people in the music business tip toe around what they really think of records just so no body is mad at them.

The last two songs on New Wave really compliment each other well, "Animal" has a slow pumping tempo for the tail of a troubled relationship and the cd is finished of with the confessions of what Gable fantasizes life would be like if he could have had things the way he wanted from the beginning. Looking back, Against Me!’s last release( Searching For a Former Clarity) on an independent label, Fat Wreck was the (fitting) eulogy for the way the band used to approach music and writing. People should no longer expect folk-punk anthems from Against Me!, from now on people should expect just plain old Rock and Roll.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Key Tracks: New Wave, Borne on the FM Waves, Piss and Vinegar, and The Ocean

Worth The Money: yes