New Wave
by Against Me!
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. AllMusic
    80
    New Wave is crisp, direct, and sharp. It's clean, but not glossy; it's defiant; it's brash; it's heartfelt.
  2. Pitchfork
    55
    These are longstanding punk tropes boiled down and Vig-ed up, removed of their typical dirt sheen and bolstered by a couple extra guitar tracks.
  3. PopMatters
    50
    While most Against Me! fans are likely to think New Wave is inferior to their previous work--and they’re probably right--this is still an album that gets their foot in the door to the big show, and if they use it as something to build on, they can do some damage in the future.
  5. Q Magazine
    60
    The likes of 'Americans Abroad' and 'White People For Peace' pick up where Green Day's "American Idiot" left off, channelling righteous fury into a racket that's as vigorous as it's earnest. [Sep 2007, p.88]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    Their best album to date.
  7. Rolling Stone
    80
    With help from name producer Butch Vig, Tom Gabel's emo-hardcore band makes them rock.
  8. The A.V. Club
    83
    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.
  9. Spin
    90
    Vig both sweetens and strengthens Against Me!'s attack without sacrificing the band's innate Raggedy Andy appeal.
  10. NOW Magazine
    80
    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.
  11. Sputnikmusic
    70
    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.
  12. The New York Times
    80
    It’s still a short, sharp shock: 10 songs, with no shortage of vehemence.
  13. Blender
    80
    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.
  14. Stylus Magazine
    50
    I’d argue, though, that being an expert on the group’s verbose and ragged past wouldn’t help all that much. This is a different sounding band with pretty much the exact same lyrical concerns.
  15. Lost At Sea
    92
    I can't remember the last time a popular punk album sounded this simple, lean and ready to conquer anything in its path.
  16. Hot Press
    40
    It will probably go down as their 'sell-out' record, in that it's their first for a major label.
  17. MSN Consumer Guide (Robert Christgau)
    91
    Polysyllabic and self-aware, this is the best political punk in years.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Most Discussed Album of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 59 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 59
  3. Negative: 12 out of 59
  1. SamK.
    Oct 21, 2007
    10
    Possibly my new favorite band. Melodically lyrically vocally artistically incredible. Tom Gabel is an incredible vocalist backed by a solid Possibly my new favorite band. Melodically lyrically vocally artistically incredible. Tom Gabel is an incredible vocalist backed by a solid wall of guitars and lots of deep powerful percussion. Somehow all of this ends up being incredibly melodic. Seriously awesome.… Full Review »
  2. EinarJ.
    May 7, 2008
    1
    I have heard about Against Me! for a while now, but never took the time to look at them. Without having seen any previous album by AM!, I can I have heard about Against Me! for a while now, but never took the time to look at them. Without having seen any previous album by AM!, I can say, i hated this album. Not because i'm some totaly one-eyed genre geek, i listen to everything fairly. This album was just plain mediocre and typical in so many ways. It's painful to see Spin let it beat 'In Rainbows' a masterpiece of our time, and that beat a decent Arcade Fire album. God, i hate this album, sure it's got some grit, but it's so unoriginal and cliche. I was going over 'Raw' by Lindsay Lohan' and, however this is possible, found it to be a more fulfilling effort. Awful album.… Full Review »
  3. DanaC.
    Feb 25, 2008
    0
    The reason I found this album so disappointing is that it is hard to take them seriously after they sold out so hard. The lyrics are still The reason I found this album so disappointing is that it is hard to take them seriously after they sold out so hard. The lyrics are still pretty well written and meaningful, but I can't see them as anything but empty now that Against Me! has turned into a slick corporate "punk" band. Tell me, how could you compromise yourself like this?… Full Review »
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