Against Me! “Russian Spies” 7-inch – Against Me! can’t seem to do much these days without being overly scrutinized, so I’ve opted to go against the trend and keep this one short. With the band’s new drummer Jay Weinberg in tow, Against Me! presents an EP featuring “Russian Spies” on the A-side, and “Occult Enemies” on the B-side, and anyone who even remotely still counts themselves amongst Against Me! fans should love these two cuts.
“Russian Spies” has a great chorus, but it’s hard not to love Tom Gabel’s turn of the lyrics “while narco-submarines float silent through the water, I am fearful of the distance between you and me” (the second half of that, interestingly enough, missing from the lyrics sheet). “Occult Enemies” has a darker intro, but the band sounds like it’s having so much fun with the “watch out for occult enemies! (watch out)” lines that it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement.
What Against Me! has here are two incredibly catchy, driving punk rock n’ roll songs with great energy, well-written and better performed, falling somewhere between older release and songs from the likes of White Crosses, and fans will undoubtedly want to see these tracks in the live rotation. So fuck all the other nonsense; Against Me! has released another great 7-inch worth picking up this instant.
The artwork for the effort is handled by Steak Mtn., and while I want to hate it and call it lazy (red spray paint over a black-and-white photo, with the same photo simply filtered more on the back side), it’s the simplicity that seems to make it such a perfect fit for these two songs. And while I want to bash the black pressing for the same reason, it’s that old-school black and silver lining (along with a center that punches out like the EPs of old) that works so well again for this straight punk release. I also love the photos printed inside the sleeve.
It also comes with a download code from Sabot Productions, which is fantastic. I would be remiss if I did not mention, though, that the B-side on my copy of the record (from ShopRadioCast) did not play properly. No problem with the A-side, and no visible warp or damage to the record) but the speed and music was off on the B-side. A representative from Sabot said that this was an isolated incident, and that there have been no widespread complaints. The label was also kind enough to offer a replacement. The representative promised that the music has played properly on other records. As a result of my faulty vinyl, I have elected not to score the press quality.
Review by: Bill Jones
Sound/Press Quality: No Score (See Review)
The Album: 5/5
Artwork and Packaging: 4/5
Vinyl Collective boards
2 Comments
The b side on my yellow copy is weird too. It seems to start off at an incorrect speed or is just poorly pressed, but it sounds quite off at the beginning of the song, but gets better as the song goes on. My roommates copy is similar, as well.
While I haven’t looked for any other complaints on this, I’m suddenly less convinced its an isolated incident.
dustin415 Thanks for writing and sharing. That’s good to know. I’m sure readers appreciate the info. I would try emailing Sabot though, as they seemed willing to send a replacement if you’re having a problem.