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Craig's Brother

The Insidious Lie

Written by: PP on 14/12/2011 01:32:30

Hey you guys remember Lagwagon? One of the finest 90s punk rock bands representing the Southern California scene? Yeah, they are awesome, and have released more genre classics than most punk bands do in their career. It's been a while since we've heard something new from the band though. Six years since the last full length "Resolve" and three years since "I Think My Older Brother Used To Listen To Lagwagon EP".

Well, they're back with "Insidious Lie", their eighth studio album. It sounds like classic Lagwagon from the mid to late 90s era, when records like "Hoss", "Trashed", and "Let's Talk About Feelings" were fueling the punk rock scene in California. You might even throw in a couple of NUFAN references to albums like "Making Friends" and "More Betterness!" because of how similar the vocal line on the melancholic, yet ridiculously catchy "The Mistake Of Caring" is to Tony Sly's signature style.

Vocalist Joey Cape continues to sing in his inimitable, instantly recognizable style by extending his lines to provide that prolonged melody the band is so beloved for. The rest of the band keeps using polished riffs that have been semi-influenced by the skate punk scene, while giving them the sunny California treatment to create a bright contrast to the melancholia-driven vocals by Cape. These are most often played at a casual mid-tempo pace, one that's unhurried but feels nice and energetic nonetheless. It's simple, chord-based punk that simply provides a platform for Cape's great vocal hooks to carry the songs. Especially "Freedom", "Klamath Falls", and "The Aaronic Blessing" are great examples of that, although nearly all tracks on "The Insidious Lie" are up to the standard we've grown to expect from Lagwagon. Simply solid, straight-forward punk rock with a distinct mid to late 90s vibe of optimism. It doesn't matter that they haven't changed one bit, this is the sound we've grown to love and cherish, so more of the same is exactly what we've wanted all along. It doesn't matter that the band who wrote "The Insidious Lie" is actually Craig's Brother, and that this is their third studio album and first one in over eight years. It sounds like the Lagwagon you all know you've been missing.

Download: Freedom, The Mistake Of Caring, Klamath Falls
For the fans of: Lagwagon, No Use For A Name,
Listen: Myspace

Release date 24.01.2011
Self-Released