[Music] Against Me! - White Crosses

This is an early review of an album that doesn't come out until May. So yeah, I stole the leak. Sue me.

The new Against Me! album proves my point once again that fans who complain about their favorite band "selling out" are full of shit. People who look at the new Against Me! album and dismiss it as a lame attempt at expanding their fan base to more casual listeners are missing out on a pretty good collection of songs. Old fans of Against Me! automatically think of their super-awesome debut album from 2001, Reinventing Axl Rose. It was super fast and super angry punk, and the scene ate it up. Fast-forward to 2007 when they did the ultimate evil amongst the elite punk fans: sign to a major label. But their major label debut New Wave was still vintage Against Me!, it just had better production. Now it's 2010 and enter their new album White Crosses which ups the production a little too much. This is still Against Me! but a little more radio-friendly, and it's sure to attract new fans as well as scare off a few old ones.

First off, White Crosses was produced by Butch Vig (who also produced the new Green Day album) and it shows. It's a little more "poppy" than other Against Me! albums too, as most of the songs aren't as fast and furious, and more laid back and melodic. But that doesn't mean the band has lost their edge; the guys from Gainesville are just as angry as ever. Singing about break-ups and hypocrisy, Tom Gabel's lyrics just keep getting better and his voice is still fierce and powerful. They've added new a new drummer, George Rebelo, and he fits in quite nicely though I do miss Warren Oaks behind the kit.

I'll be honest, when I first listened to this album I was taken back a bit. But it slowly grew on me as I realized that this isn't Against Me! selling out, it's them evolving. It's like I've told countless people: you can't expect a band to remake the same album or song over and over again. As a band's career progresses they change their sound and the way they approach writing songs. Love it or hate it, White Crosses is a solid step forward for the band. This is a great album in the end but not everyone will notice that. Whether you download it now or wait for it to be released, give it a chance. This may not be Against Me!'s best, but it's a solid entry in their great music catalogue.

Final Score:

3.5 out of 5

Key Tracks:

"White Crosses", "I Was a Teenage Anarchist", "Rapid Decompression"