Against Me! - As The Eternal Cowboy

It'd be fair to note that Against Me! is by far the most entertaining band I've ever had the privilege of seeing live; I've never seen a band elicit such a crowd reaction. Earlier this year, their raucous live show, inevitable reputation, and ability to garner a decent amount of national attention landed this Gainesville band - the pride and joy of the East Coast underground music scene - a record deal with Fat Wreck Chords, one of the biggest names in punk-rock today. Of course, when news of this followed what Against Me! laid out with Reinventing Axl Rose, a lot of the band's fans didn't hesitate to lob a couple "sellout!" comments their way. Easy, folks. The Eternal Cowboy, the band's first Fat Wreck offering, doesn't compare to the Against Me! fans met on Reinventing Axl Rose. But, looking past that, the punk-rock tones and style, the folk-rock mixed with touches of blues, and Tom Gabel's recognizable shouting make Against Me! one of the more original bands around today. The album tends to sound overproduced when compared to the band's other work, which smoothes out some of the band's previous charm (that is, if you enjoy the aesthetic of slightly underproduced punk-rock). As well, the 11 tracks that make up the record only clock in at just over 25 minutes, so it feels like the album has ended before you can really delve into it. "Cliche Guevara" and "T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)" are both more straightforward than expected, while "Sink, Florida, Sink" is a more relaxed, acoustic track with piano accompaniment. Yet, despite a few drawbacks, the slight variation of mood make it a great album. It's chalk full of political and social commentary that is dynamic enough to move around to and catchy enough to scream along with. No group around in punk-rock sounds like this band. Though this isn't nearly as good as their last brilliant, full-length, The Eternal Cowboy is at least a work of art that truly defies a label and also defines sincerity and honesty - two things that we're in need of today. [www.againstme.net]