Against some fans

About six months ago, I picked up Crime As Forgiven by, an outstanding EP of raw angst (mainly political) as interpreted through an acoustic guitar and drums (no cymbals). Tom Gabel (guitar/ vocals/ songs) screams into a microphone and strums with all his might over a snare drum that marches better than Sousa. It was the stripped-down basics of song. \nWithout the classic instrument setup or sound of a punk band, two guys got together and made what is certainly a punk album. The naked sound with anarchic lyrics and Gabel's smoky voice was a new assault of sound. A similar sound was pursued in their first LP Reinventing Axl Rose. \nOn As the Eternal Cowboy, Against Me! plugs in and moves away from the silly idealistic politics and towards a realist depiction of the old rough life and love theme. Upon first listen, I hung my head and immediately began to draw conclusions of selling out and getting soft. On second listen, the surprise was gone, and I digested some tasty well-composed songs that range from the alt-country of "Sink, Florida, Sink" to bluesy bubblegum finale of "Cavalier Eternal," and they cover everything in between. \nThe only question I have is, how is it still so damn punk?