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I can't remember the last time a popular punk album sounded this simple, lean and ready to conquer anything in its path.
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Polysyllabic and self-aware, this is the best political punk in years.
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Vig both sweetens and strengthens Against Me!'s attack without sacrificing the band's innate Raggedy Andy appeal.
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New Wave's triumph is its ability to rise above Butch Vig's airtight alt-rock production with gruffly sung, hook-heavy songs that show a dark maturity (such as the impressionist, dreamlike "The Ocean") while perpetuating AM's shout-along populism.
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New Wave is crisp, direct, and sharp. It's clean, but not glossy; it's defiant; it's brash; it's heartfelt.
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Superproducer Butch Vig is around to help transform Gabel’s strident leftism and occasionally clumsy choruses (e.g., "Protest Songs! In response to military aggression!") into swing-state-ready stadium rock.
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Their best album to date.
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While New Wave will probably compel you to pay attention to singer Tom Gabel's rasping rants, it's still a record that's pretty damn fun to dance around to.
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It’s still a short, sharp shock: 10 songs, with no shortage of vehemence.
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With help from name producer Butch Vig, Tom Gabel's emo-hardcore band makes them rock.
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It's easy to enjoy on a superficial level, because the music is well written and enjoyable, and lyrically it's more than I could have expected.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 41 out of 59
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Mixed: 6 out of 59
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Negative: 12 out of 59
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SamK.Oct 21, 2007
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EinarJ.May 7, 2008
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DanaC.Feb 25, 2008