Bad Copy

This album is inspiring. If four dads who don’t tour and have normal jobs can make a record this true to the Punk ethos, then the rest of us have no excuses. Go right now and get an audio interface (they’re like ninety dollars), make a drum loop, plug in your guitar, and scream about how much you hate society. Then, when you’re done, come back and read the rest of this review. I’ll wait…

Back? Okay, now to actually talk about the music. There’s so much good crammed into this album, it’s just bursting at the seams. The song structures fall in the realm of Green Day and Teenage Bottlerocket. Simple, two or three chord progressions, driving drums, rich vocal harmonies, and a bass that knows when to walk. These, alone, are already the ingredients of great songs. The Reaganomics don’t stop there though; these songs are all intricately layered. They add these doubled up, harmonic guitar solos that show a masterful blend of their metal influence. The end result is a unique mashup of Skate-Punk-meets-Thrash-Punk.

I haven’t even talked about the lyrics yet. They have a song about an alligator on meth, so that’s pretty fun. Even on songs that are more focused on joking around the lyrics are always clever. None of the jokes feel like low hanging fruit; they put in work to make original and witty songs. While the lyrics are always funny, they can also be incredibly poignant. This album deals with politics, aging, and fatherhood, and expertly balances humor with sharp observations.

I recommend listening to this one while having a panic attack about having to get ‘a real job,’ or at the exact moment you realize you’ve grown up into a back-of-the-show-not-in-the-mosh-pit person.