Marked by down-and-out ballads which soar into fist-pumping flights of triumph, this is old territory but there’s a unique angle with the lyrical content.
‘About Nothing’ is the first and strongest track. “What do you do if you don’t give a f**k about nothing?” is a question that initiates this song and this album, and uncovers an aspect of ourselves not often explored in the fickle attentions of pop-rock.
Continuing the bold line of assault upon society’s delusions, ‘It’s A Curse I’m A Saint’ contains the interesting line, “God is not religious.” It’s a resonating idea but along with in-your-face claims to sainthood, one wonders if sympathisers to this enlightenment also sit around listening to sophomoric rock albums.
There are bursts of refreshment in a couple of short pop-punk tracks, but this doesn’t save the album from the last two tracks which really shouldn’t be there. Nothing wrong with the tracks themselves, but how many seven-minute opuses on the meaning of life can a kid handle? Better to give the listener time to absorb these ‘teachings’ with a quiet shakuhachi playing beside a gentle waterfall.
6/10
