NOFX : "First Ditch Effort"

So here is the sound track to these guys getting sober and growing up. Back in the day I appreciated these guys but never listened to them a helluva of a lot unless with my friends who did as they were a little too happy. Some times their description of going to meetings is a little over dramatic like reading Augusten Burroughs' "Dry". They are also concerned about Ronald Reagan killing Sid Vicious and big medicine. By the time we get to "Oxy-Moronic" it is getting too happy for me again. The guitar tone on this album is good and they add things like horns at varied places in the first few songs. The vocals are typical for what they do. The first blast of aggression that works with melody and re-captures what they did so well in the 90's is "I Don't Like Me Anymore" , but you can hear how they are influenced by Bad Religion here. But Bad Religion doesn't really rock like this now so I guess it's o.k.

There is a confession of being a transvestite on "I'm Transvest Lite". They get back to rocking out on "Ditch Effort" .  They go for more Beatle like harmonies on " Dead Beat Mom". The rest of the song is more rock n roll than punk to my ears, though I can hear some of the more radio friendly Bad Religion in the harmonies. "Bye Bye Bi-opsy Girl" is catchy and melodic, but might as well be Blink 182.  At this point the album begins to become a blur with "I'm So Sorry Tony" as the really only stand out moment. The song that closes the album seems more like an outro jam and runs into the rest of the half hearted pop punk blur.


This is not a bad album. It's not "Punk in Drublic". It's care-free pop punk that is loaded down with the aches and pains of punk rockers waking up to see that they are adults now. This will appeal to most of their original audience who in fact are adults now and might be able to relate to the lyrics and this has more piss and vinegar than radio rock, but doesn't feel dangerous like real punk.I'll give this one a 6.