As I get older, I find more and more pleasure in fucking with people and conversely have less and less patience for being fucked with. With that in mind this record is a mixed blessing. Albini and company aren't out to make anyone happy except themselves. Outside of the Melvins, I can't think of a band who likes to torment its audience as much, and after 20+ years of doing it you have to go pretty far to find the new joke. I like dogs more than most people so the art is cool with me, it's a couple of the tunes I could live without.
Albini is blessed with a wicked guitar sound and the ability to fuse anglo post punk with classic rock boogie,and at it's best that is on display on this record-"Steady as She Goes" and "Be Prepared". He and Bob Weston also can capture every sound with scientific precision so regardless of the riffs or hooks, it sounds good. Todd Trainer is a a ridiculous rock solid drummer so the they have the total package. Outside of Brendan Canty I don't think there is much competition for him(that said I will leave the Fugazi comparisons to Pitchfrok who probably think all old people sound the same...)
"Be Prepared" is the kind of song a hairy old grump can appreciate. "I was born standing up"-yes I was and I have forgotten more than you will know. Wire meets ZZ Top never sounded so good. "elephant" brings some more obvious political commentary to the forefront and after what feels like a lifetime of neo-con idiots, who can blame them? "End of Radio" manages to transcend it's length and novelty factor to be OK, but "Genuine Lullabelle" edges my finger towards the skip button -despite the dirty talk and use of the word "lullabelle". Would D.Boon fuck around like this if he was still alive making records? Hard to say.
Finishes off strong with "Spoke" which hearkens back to the simpler glory days of Am Rep and Touch and Go.
Seven years since the last record and honestly I wasn't waiting. I think they lost me after "At action park" which is not surprise because the combined beating of that and the first two singles is hard to top, but this is a great record and a nice surprise. Like a few other records I've talked about lately, I feel that talking about them is kind of redundant. You see them and you are either going to grab them or be repelled based on their track records. Bottom line is shit like this makes you realize you don't have to get lame when you get old.
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