The Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!

I, personally, don't exactly enjoy reading a record review overflowing with gushing admiration and exclusively positive feedback, but I'm subjecting all of you to just that. I won't deny that this is poor journalism, with objectivity gone straight down the shitter, but throughout this article I'll attempt to back all the upcoming opinions on one of the best modern punk bands, hands down--The Lawrence Arms. My musical taste has veered far away from the Fat Wreck roster (and punk rock in general) in the past years, as it happens with most "audiophiles" during those collegiate years of discovery. But, The Lawrence Arms have endured the struggles and still won't fall far from my favorite bands of all time. Some quick background on the band--formed in '99 after bassist Brendan and guitarist Chris departed from the Fifteen-meets-Crimpshrine punk of The Broadways; drummer Neil ended his stint with Baxter, which featured Tim from Rise Against on vocals. Once united, the trio followed with two LPs and two splits on Asian Man Records, before heading up the punk rock label ladder to Fat Wreck Chords, where they now deliver LP #3. The Lawrence Arms' dichotomy lends itself to my claim--Brendan and Chris previously divided the albums between their respective songs, which typically held Brendan as the drunken, proselytizing comedian who barks his anguish in between shots and reading Whitman and Bulgakov. Chris, on the other hand, represented the more sensitive, poetic face of the band. Brendan's more fervent and political, Chris, more personal and mellow. Musically, the threesome finds kindred spirits in Jawbreaker and Dillinger Four, to an extent, but also the more melodic side of the Alkaline Trio. Oh! Calcutta! brings both vocalists together, and instead of splitting the duties, they're more often than not sharing the limelight on each track. Call it maturity or natural progression, but it's undeniable that The Lawrence Arms have upped the ante for themselves yet again. Much of the album loses a "-punk" tag; "rock" almost fits alone. At other times, the group sounds precisely as they did a few years ago, but instead of reverting strictly to a worn-out formula, the musicianship (guitar-work and drums, mostly) are meatier and more impressive. There's an undeniable "anthem" feel at play on Oh! Calcutta!, and the poppier side of the record--not sleek, but unyielding in memorable choruses and hooks. Coming from the perspective of a fan and not that of an objectivity-bound journalist, I can't say that this isn't the culmination of everything this band has done. Brevity is the sole weakness at play, but for all you punkers, you can't really get any better than this. It's socially aware and biting, humorous, intellectual amongst its peers, and above all, goddamn catchy. [www.thelawrencearms.net]