CD Review: Lawagon

CD: Resolve

Lagwagon sits high and happy in the upper echelons of punk rock royalty, flawlessly mixing razor sharp metalish riffs, stop-on-a dime tempo changes, keenly emotive vocals and a sense of humor and self-deprecation on par with the masters NOFX and The Descendents. Frontman Joey Cape has one of the most recognizable voices in punk, at times snide and bratty, other times polished, sincere and especially on the emotionally-charged track “Resolve,” deeply touching.

Sadly, a founding member and good friend of the band, Derrick Plourde (Ataris, Bad Astronaut), took his own life in 2005 and his loss is this inspiration and driving force behind the entire CD. Lagwagon’s last record was solid, but nowhere near the heights they achieved on earlier efforts. It seems this tragedy had at least one positive effect: invigorating a band to make serious music in honor of their fallen friend.

Fast-paced, fierce and full of unanswerable questions and aching anger, this tribute is a tear-inducing affair but without one ounce of sappiness or “poor me” sentiments. It’s more of a therapy session for band and listener alike. “The Worst” deftly deals with the rage and bewilderment felt by loved ones and the final track “Day of New” gives a glimpse of hope and acceptance. The CD actually ends quietly and pensively with a secret track, an acoustic version of “The Chemist,” a suitable song considering the circumstances.

The combination of blistering guitar bursts, pummeling rhythms, impassioned vocals and thoughtful lyrics propels Lagwagon back to fine form and gives comfort to those who’ve suffered similar losses. For a nice visual tribute to Derrick, check out the video for “Heartbreaking Music”: