By Justin Reed
Staff Writer
Anti-Flag stays true to their outlandish political roots in their newest punk rock album “American Spring.”
Anti-Flag’s musical talent is on full display in their newest release due to perfectly produced songs that do not shy away from controversy, giving each song a unique reason to listen.
Anti-Flag is a Pennsylvania based, politically infused punk rock band that focuses on various tough issues but shifts its focus almost entirely on human rights of peace and freedom. They have written nine albums spanning from 1996 to today all focusing on their own unique political agenda.
For example in “American Spring,” Anti-Flag sticks to their well-defined punk rock style, while exemplifying their desire for peace and freedom without entirely forcing their ideals onto their listeners.
The album starts off with the song “Fabled World” that speaks of the truths and horrors done in the name of freedom. This song sets the mood for the remainder of the album with its politically infused, dark lyrics, while the instruments themselves provide an upbeat, contrasting tone that challenges the darker themes presented.
In opposition to the band’s controversial lyrics, exceptional singing by Justin Sane disguises his true dark feelings with an underlying lighter tone that still conveys the same strong message. Sane uses a calmer voice to express his controversial ideas in a more soothing manner ensuring the lyrics don’t entirely overshadow the band’s instrumentals.
Additionally the album is easy to listen to, fitting in well with the classic punk rock style, famous for its repetitive songs that create a smooth flow throughout. Although each song has a similar sound, the album is lyrically unique, keeping interest due to these diverse vocals.
Also, in addition to solely focusing on human rights issues, the album occasionally references other controversial and disputed themes such as poverty. The song “All of the Poison, All of the Pain”, touches upon this bluntly with lyrics addressing the many poisons of poverty and the harsh conditions faced by the lower classes of American society, allowing them to relate to a more diverse group of listeners.
Although “American Spring” attempts to speak to a variety of issues, the most heavily targeted are those that they believe can be easily fixed. The song “Low Expectations” targets the depressing attitude of the lower classes due to their difficulty moving up in society, once agai shwoing their . Anti-Flag conveys their helpful message and expresses their feelings through music in an attempt to bring much needed and attention light to these issues.
The band follows a similar path of many other politically influenced bands in that they sing to try to help others find san outlet to express their own contentious political beliefs. This format is very accomodating for those that Anti-Flag addresses because it brings an unbiased outlet for listeners looking to freely express heir beliefs.
Overall, this album can easily be described as Anti-Flag’s best work. Lyrical and vocal perfection ensures that each song flows seamlessly into the next making “American Spring” a true punk rock masterpiece.
“American Spring” is available for purchase for $9.99 digitally and in stores.
Leave a Reply