AGAINST ME!
Searching For a Former Clairty

Submitted by: Kelsey McArdle

When a band decides to “grow” or “expand their sound”, this usually seems to act as a big red flag for any diehard fan who is waiting for a blatant duplication of that band’s former pinnacle efforts. Although these fans are quick to claim their undying admiration for these previous works , they’re just as quick to turn around and shun any group of musicians who have, in their minds, “turned their backs” on their old sound and their older fans. This seems to have been the case with the avid admirers of Florida’s infamous “folk-punk” band, Against Me! with the Sep. 6th release of their most recent CD, Searching For a Former Clarity. Though the CD is gaining some critical acclaim, the general consensus seems to be split down the middle as to whether or not Against Me! have grown for the better, or if this CD is only a step backwards for this seemingly revolutionary band. If you were to listen to this CD and not pay too much attention, it might not seem like its sound has strayed from the effective, crowd-pleasing Against Me! formula. Known for their rousing choruses, raw and inspiring vocals, and rough sing-a-longs, Against Me! still captures this essence on this new disc--just not to the same degree as former favorites like Reinventing Axl Rose. It’s blatantly obvious that the band wanted to experiment with new sounds, such as the addition of a horn section on the CD opener, “Miami” and other stunners, such as a song with a Franz Ferdinand-esque dance-rock feel and a few songs with an atypical slow and drawn out vibe. “How Low”, a low-key, yet stand-out song, is a primarily acoustic tune that might just become a new favorite Against Me! sing-a-long, and their single, “Don’t Lose Touch”, has a catchy, rhythm-driven, yet repetitive groove that is surprisingly infectious. Despite these changes, Tom Gabel, the band’s primary writer and front man, still sings every song and every fiery lyric with as much passion, even if these new songs have completely new and different feelings to them. It takes a bit of getting used to, but with close inspection and an attentive listen to this new album, it’s easy to see that Against Me! has matured in a surprising and interesting way without losing their strong and emotional voice, which is the factor that keeps the fans coming and keeps this band alive and still relevant.

that review was good. it hit the nail on the head.
Don't Loose Touch is deffinitally a bouncy-catchy-sing-alot song.
good job.

One of my favorite bands. I love Searching for a Former Clarity with all my heart. Yeah, they have changed their views on alot of subjects. But they still rock the house down. I saw them around 9 months ago on the Fat Wreckords tour. They were amazing. Good review.

review was great!
i love this band

That's the album that really got me into AM!. They have a new album out on July 10th. And I'm effing excited.

Against Me! is amazing, everything of theres is good and I met Warren!!!

great review! i really like Against Me!, but i still haven't managed to get this CD, even though i've liked everything i've heard from it. Don't Lose Touch is one of those songs that sticks in my head every time i hear it. i've simply got to pick it up next time i go CD shopping! hopefully i can get it before their next CD comes out, or maybe just pick them both up at the same time

i'm really scared that i'm going to end up hating the new album.
and as far as SFAFC goes, i don't think i've listened to it the full way through in like a year and a half. meh central.

Wow, I can't believe my review is still up here! It seems so long ago that I wrote that. And I haven't been around here in ages.
But yeah, about the new album...I heard it leaked and that it sounds suuuuper polished, and it seems that they've left the whole "folk-punk" thing behind. That makes me a bit sad to hear.

Yeah, although they kinda hinted at that on Searching. I like the new one, but it's not amazing like the others.

I haven't heard of them. Maybe they'll hit the UK soon so I'll have a chance to find out/hear something of theirs.

Wait...
Searching for our Former Talent? What?