Against Me! has come a long way from it’s roots. The band has now garnered a fair deal of commercial and critical success. On the band’s first “real” release (the original Against Me! EP 12″ was a print of less than 150 copies), the EP Crime (or Crime as Forgiven By Against Me!), Tom Gabel was just a angry punk armed with nothing more than a guitar and his songwriting abilities. Gabel and drummer Kevin Mahone were the only band members at the time, but that’s all that was needed. The result marked beginning of Against Me! producing some truly great albums.
From the opening riff of “I Still Love You Julie,” the listener can tell they’re in for a treat. The song also showcases another aspect of Crime‘s sound, which is the rim drumming by Mahone. The rim is the forgotten percussion sound, but it has such a tremendous lively quality to it. The second track, “What We Worked For” displays Gabel’s often times brutal lyrical honesty. Here it is in the form of razor sharp self-deprecation, as he proclaims that, “I found three simple chords and held them together with my weak voice.
“Ya’ll Don’t Wanna Step To Dis” is a case of one of the best things about early Against Me! songs; the ability to flip the switch. The song starts off slow and calm, but then all of a sudden becomes a blisteringly fast punk screamer. The following song, “Walking Is Still Honest,” is one of my favorite Against Me! songs, and apparently a fan favorite as well, because the band still plays it to this day. The Crime version of the song is slower version, more paced incarnation of the song than the one found on Reinventing Axl Rose, but it is the superior of the two. The passion of Gabel’s lyrical struggle with religion is moving, as he sings, “Can anybody tell me why God won’t speak to me?”
The EP wraps up with the vocal chord grinding “Impact” and “Burn,” an anthem of urgency. Both feature politically charged lyrics and a dose of swagger. They tie up the EP nicely with a clearly frayed bow on top.
Crime‘s vitriol is something to be admired. There’s no better way to get through door than to kick it down. It’s a surefire way to draw attention, and this EP deserves it.
Review Score: 8.8
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