Recently, I heard a nifty expression. A psychiatrist, fully cognizant of his profession's shift of opinion against the theories of Sigmund Freud, said in the Swiss psychoanalyst's defense: "You can always tell who the pioneers are because they have the most arrows in their back." It's a wonderfully concise statement that subtly comes to mind as I listen to Lagwagon's latest slab of sonic sensibility, Let's Talk About Feelings.

Those of you who were floating around the Pitchfork channels this time last year may remember a review of Lagwagon's then- current offering, Double Plaidinum, written by Yours Truly. If you happened to miss that particular ignorance- romp, here's a quick clip to give y'all an indication of what was said: "...the band seems to lose touch with exactly what it was that drew people to them in the first place." In summary, the review wasn't too favorable; in fact, it insinuated that Lagwagon-- pioneers of the Fat Wreck Chords family, and original melders of punk urgency and heavy- metal complexity-- had irretrievably lost sight of their musical vision, and were consequently doomed to failure for the rest of their careers. Fortunately for lovers of sophisticated yet powerful punk, my prescient abilities leave much to be desired. With Let's Talk About Feelings, the band has put together, in an impressively short amount of time, what may very well be their finest album to date.

Let's Talk About Feelings is a logical progression from Double Plaidinum in that both albums utilize a more accessible approach than the band's earliest offerings, but Feelings succeeds by employing a sense of variety virtually absent from Plaidinum. The album's premier track, "After You, My Friend," breaks in the middle of its rousing rhythms for a buoyant jazz interlude. "Hurry Up and Wait" appears and is almost as quickly gone-- its breakneck speed dismantles notions that bands lose their edginess with age. Perhaps the most innovative song is the album's closer, "Owen Meaney," which begins with the subdued and poignant stylings characteristic of "emo-core," doubles both meter and intensity for a climatic finish. As a refreshing departure from their characteristic cover songs, the band provides us with a moody rendition of Agent Orange's "Everything Turns Gray."

With the exception of a slightly awkward beginning to "The Kids Are All Wrong," Let's Talk About Feelings is a proficient and compelling piece of work every step of the way. Lagwagon have thankfully reestablished themselves as champions of progressive punk. Hopefully, their future offerings will serve only to strengthen the title.

-Kevin Ruggeri

"Everything Turns Grey"

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