Anti-Flag

Political punk rockers Anti-Flag raised a few eyebrows in 2006 with For Blood and Empire, their first album released by RCA Records. After all, how could a politically charged band rooted in old-school punk and hardcore sell out but still save face? The band answered the age-old question with a solid effort that showed them continuing to do what they do best: surging songs with bold lyrics that held nothing back. (And hell, if Rage did it with Sony, why can’t they?)

With the release of The Bright Lights of America, the boys from Anti-Flag remain consistent. Yes, they now have a more produced sound, but the message remains the same.

Bright Lights starts off strong in the opening tracks. “Good and Ready” jumps at the listener with a bouncing riff that quickly gains steam and muscle. The title track is a shot of punk rock energy with screaming lead guitar and a pop sound borrowed from Green Day. The tremolo riff over the steady snare beat and high-hat roll from “If You Wanna Steal” bounces furiously, offering a verse that sounds like an angrier Franz Ferdinand song. And “Spit in the Face” showcases Anti-Flag at their best, with a racing punk riff, pounding drums, a (gasp) blazing guitar solo and front man Justin Sane’s impassioned lyrics about political abandonment.

While there isn’t a weak track on this album, Bright Lights suffers from a problem the last few Anti-Flag albums had, which is the wear on the listener from the band’s unrelenting surging sound. Some tracks add a nice touch of variety with dynamic changes in song intros or breakdowns, but all 12 tracks come back to the sonic attack Anti-Flag is known for. The album’s hidden track comes as an acoustic breath of fresh air with banjo and mandolin, leaving one to wonder why (or maybe if) this band couldn’t step back from their hardcore sound and tone down their dynamic more often.

Ultimately, Bright Lights is more of the same from Anti-Flag. But when you’re as consistent and powerful as this band, that’s really not a bad thing.