Against Me! - Searching For a Former Clarity

Arena shows with Green Day, appearances on late-night television, and keeping their first full-length from 2002 in the "Top Sellers" list over at Interpunk--three years ago, I don't think anyone saw this coming. As for me, I gave "Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious" (from the aforementioned Reinventing Axl Rose record) a brief listen and decided that Against Me! wasn't bad. So I proceeded to order the album. Over the ensuing weeks and months, it blew me away; "Pints of Guiness Make You Strong" became one of my favorite songs of all time, and I kept the utmost respect for the band as they thrived on basement shows and tiny clubs. Fast-forward to early 2003. The band steps up their game and hops on board with Fat Wreck Chords--the label owned and operated by NOFX's Fat Mike, with an agenda that includes nabbing up all of punk rock's best and brightest--Against Me! included. The J. Robbins-produced Searching for a Former Clarity fares just as well, if not better, than their first Fat Wreck effort (2003's ...As the Eternal Cowboy), and the band's spirit is really the most direct link to punk rock they have. Musically, the record finds them expanding on their politician-agitating, angsty folk-punk, and Tom Gabel's lyrical wit is as sharp as the shards of glass it seems he's gargled over the years. While the record isn't as immediate as its predecessors (I didn't like it at all at first), there's really no denying that Against Me! is one of the most important voices in the modern punk rock scene. Impassioned and intellectual, and scene politics aside, Against Me! are at the top of their game. True, they were easier to hold dearly to our hearts before they broke big, and their older songs might be more fun to sing along with, but they're holding on to their roots and gaining popularity simultaneously. Selling out? Well, someone's gotta fill The Clash's shoes, and though it's premature and even silly to use that comparison, those footsteps are being followed... [www.againstme.net]