band of the week + record review: Against Me!

I’ve always had a soft spot for Against Me!-a punk rock outfit from Florida that has the blazing fury of seven bands. While their previous releases have always managed to slip from my attention, their fifth album, White Crosses, has really done me in. Staying true to the we-wanna-move-past-our-past strategy outlined in “I Was a Teenage Anarchist”, Against Me! embrace melodic hooks and finally break free from their earlier, anger-for-anger’s-sake sound. The music is still as powerful as ever; White Crosses’ title track kicks off the album with Dropkick Murphian vigour, and “Spanish Moss” proves that they haven’t lost their incendiary punk roots. But the songs are more purposeful, and Against Me! manage to draw inspiration from Springsteen (“Because of the Shame”) and Dylan (“Ache With Me”) without coming off as insincere. The short (10 song) album stands as the long delayed musical evolution of a band overflowing with creative potential. Thank goodness for small favours, it’d be a damn shame to see them stuck in a rut.
4/5



White Crosses drops on 7 June

Against Me! on MYSPACE