The Lament - A White Crosses Review

I'm going to attempt to write an album review. My last attempt was way back when The Bronx released their first self titled album. It was horrible! About that same time though, Against Me! released 'As The Eternal Cowboy' an album that I would now consider in my 10 ten, if forced to consider such things.

I have no qualms with what direction AM! have taken career wise. I tried to be outraged when they went from Fat Wreck Chords to Squire but found it's a baseless and unloyal claim that someone shouldn't try to make money, and increase their distribution base, from their music.

The last release by the Gainesville sing-along merchants, 'New Wave', was a clean pick up, put down collection of pumping radio friendly punk rock tunes. Not a bad album but not one I'd say was doing anything great either. The most interesting song on that album though, for me, was 'The Ocean'. It featured an interesting line of lyrics and an extended 'Turn Those Hands...' vibe that I hoped heralded the future of the band as a more alt-punk, considered band seeing as they have matured away from the vitriolic stylings of the past.

White Crosses and New Wave are not totally dissimilar. But what we have with White Crosses is a leaning toward the Green Day style arena-rock. Usually I retract painfully from this kind of music which is as pandering as it is accessible. But I know AM! are a cut above, especially lyrically. Tom Gabel has continued to write some very good songs with a more deliberate approach to catchiness instead of a blistered 2 minute assault, but we now have more singalongs and, I feel less relevance. Maybe they got sick of the politics, I don't know, but for me Against Me! was all about the outrage and now I guess, continuing on from New Wave, they're just more introspective and ironic. I can't begrudge someone for that but I think it has left the band a bit hollow sounding.

The title track isn't a bad opener but I feel 'I Was A Teenage Anarchist' carries the vibe of the album a bit better. The musicianship is still tight and blustery. The prevalence of piano within tracks is a bit distracting but works on the whole to carry that arena rock vibe. My favourite track on this album is the closer 'Bamboo Bones' which, to be sure is arena rock, but really captures the boisterious feel they were shooting at with the chorus "What God doesn't give to you, you've got to go and get for yourself".

If you like the new Green Day, or that similar arena-rock vibe, then you'll love this. If, like me, you love your punk raw and uncompromised, you might feel this to be a bit lacking.