Against Me! - Searching for a Former Clarity

September 20, 2005, 08:11 PM

To be completely honest, I've not really had that much exposure to Against Me! in the past couple years. I've heard a few songs here and there and was aware of the building fanbase being amassed by the band, but that's really about it. So when I unexpectedly was handed a copy of the new album Searching for a Former Clarity, I was a bit leery about writing a review. It took me a few times through to get the feel for the combination of punk, folk, country and blues that these guys crank out, but it's an amalgamation of sounds that actually seems to gel quite nicely.

Upon first listening through the album, I had that "eh, it's okay" attitude. It's not at all what I would call a bad album, but it just didn't blow me out of my Chuck Taylors as some recordings seem to do. Then again, this could be due to the fact that Against Me! isn't exactly the usual type of band that I run around my apartment in my underwear windmilling and air-guitaring to at 10 o'clock on any given Thursday night. But after a few rounds with the album, it began to grow on me. I think that it was while taking a drive and just relaxing that I seemed to develop the connection with the tunes pouring out of my vehicles's stereo. It's a much more subdued and intimate connection, though some of the songs are played with obvious angst and emotion that some might feel the need to berate me for using the word "subdued". But I digress.

Musically, this is about as solid as the contents of my colon after one of my late night feeding frenzies of two-foot cheese hoagie from the corner supermarket. These guys know what they're doing with their instruments and they do it well. Songs shift from a gentle country strumming to aggressive punk power chords to squelchy indie solos and leads. The songs' lyrical content and themes are just as varied as the styles in which they are played. The songs tell a tale of the band's experiences and struggle with rising popularity and identity while some touch on the more political with vocalist Tom Gabel grating out the name "Condoleeza" multiple times on From Her Lips To God's Ears.

What began as a solo act in 1997 is now quite different in the modern quartet of Against Me!. Through several lineup changes, Gabel remained the only constant. Yet finally in 2001 the current four-piece found something worth keeping and they've done a fine job together. With tours of Japan, Australia, Canada and Europe firmly behind them, it's easy to say that this band has spent more time on the road in the past five years than in their home town of Gainesville, Florida. But that doesn't seem to bother them one bit. They're a band of the road and they make it work and seem to have a damn good time doing it. It's that sort of thing that keeps earning more and more respect for Against Me! as they continue to write songs from the heart and play energizing shows for fans.

Against Me! is currently on tour with The Epoxies, Smoke or Fire and The Soviettes.