This album is a lot about giving up on what they used to be, mainly Ache With Me, and I Was A Teenage Anarchist. Its understandable when you consider that Tom Gabel got married, he’s older now, can’t stay angry forever I guess. But to totally turn on what you believed and used as your muse for so long, it seems that this band has lost exactly what made them special.

In one song this formerly politically charged band makes reference to Robert McNamara who is one of the men at fault for many of the decisions made in Vietnam, this is a sad excuse for trying to remain political by indirectly using it as a metaphor for our current military blunders, while keeping it vague enough so as not to piss off the pop music masses. What a lame move, discuss something your audience was alive for if you want to condemn war atrocities. I know you can’t expect them to make another Reinventing Axl Rose, but this is a far step even from New Wave, and huge step away from their die hard fan base into the pop spotlight.

New Wave was considerably different from their earlier albums, though the change began with Searching For A Former Clarity, but it was always something I could listen to and enjoy, this is much harder. They sound so over produced ever since Butch Vig has taken over, and its much more apparent on this album then on New Wave. I guess they deserve the money, at least they’ll get played instead of some other horrible radio rock bands. The song writing is still pretty good, but it just seems like their hearts aren’t in it like they used to be. I do like Bamboo Bones, and Because of The Shame, the album’s not bad, just bad in comparison to their earlier work, and frustrating to people who have followed them.