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Underclass Hero
Barnes and Noble
Underclass Hero
Current price: $9.99
Barnes and Noble
Underclass Hero
Current price: $9.99
Size: CD
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have always seemed like
's baby brothers, right down to their nonsensical numbers in the name, so it's only appropriate that they're also attempting to grow up just like
-- or better still, a bit like
and a bit like
, who have proven to be the standard-bearers for how latter-day punks can grow a social conscience and become mature, as evidenced by
. Sporting a similar-sounding but not as politically potent title in
,
's fifth studio album extends upon its predecessor
's deliberate attempt at getting serious and relevant, giving the impression that they're telling a story, creating an anthem for the "underclass hero," the slacker who can't be labeled as an underachiever because he never attempts to achieve. The first couple songs here -- the fists-in-the-air wannabe anthem title track, the narcissistic self-loathing
-- hit as hard as processed pedal distortion can, but
(now down to a trio after the departure of guitarist
) soon abandon any larger narrative as they start to stretch out with acoustic guitars, keyboards, and
harmonies uncannily reminiscent of
's
. Despite these flashy accoutrements,
don't want to be
, they don't want to be
, they don't even aspire to the mock the
atmospherics of
; they want to be nothing more than predictable
. Like all
albums,
is ingratiating and hooky enough to have momentum but not enough to linger in the memory. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine