Album Reviews

Backlash, Baby
The Max Levine Ensemble – Backlash, Baby
8.0
 on
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - 20:15
submitted by
Thomas

On their first album in eight years, Washington DC’s The Max Levine Ensemble try to make sense of ‘the deterioration of relationships in an era of technology and mass surveillance and the erosion of American identity in the face of a deteriorating environment and economy’. While they might not be able to answer all of your questions on the subject, they do deliver one big blast of catchy pop-punk that is divided over the thirteen songs that make up “Backlash, Baby”.

The one-two punch that opens the album is a good indicator of what to expect. The exuberant title track is so eager in its enthusiasm that it bounces all over the place and will have you doing the same, while “My Valerian” comes with a solid Pixies vibe. Actually, most of the songs on here come with so much energy that I’d strongly advise against playing “Backlash, Baby” in the car, unless you don’t mind a couple of speeding tickets.

The lyrics can be a little darker than the music would suggest though. There’s a line in “Born At The Wrong Time” that is repeated several times throughout the song (‘there’s something tugging at the bottom of my soul’) that doesn’t exactly spell happy happy joy joy. But The Max Levine Ensemble are so damn infectious that they manage to turn that line into something celebratory as the song gains volume towards the end. And how about “American”? Most of the time, piano-enhanced tunes on punk albums tend to be slower, more thoughtful songs. Not here though. This one will rock your socks off.

Was “Backlash, Baby” worth the eight year wait? Fuck no! Nothing is worth waiting for that long. But that doesn’t take away from just how good this album is!

Tom Dumarey
Tom Dumarey

Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.