I wrote a review of Against Me!'s Acoustic EP that was released over 5 years ago now. It didn't get published anywhere because it's not very good, but here it is.
Against Me! - The Acoustic EP
9/10
No messing around: This is Against Me! at their best. Younger, passionate, still finding their way and creating something their own, and it really shows. Stripped down to nothing but acoustic guitars, bass and three voices, every song becomes a drinking song. From the sodden wails of 'Jordan's First Choice', to the jittery energy, handclaps and group sing-alongs of 'Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious', the angst of 'Reinventing Axl Rose' and the pounding rythym of 'Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong', The Acoustic EP spits out the atmosphere of drunken sessions round a kitchen table with some friends, some guitars and a good dose of some fucking punk rock spirit. There's a charm to the six songs on the disc that isn't really found in anything else the Gabel and friends have done since. The intimacy and slightly lo-fi feel of the record gives a better sense of the community that is pined for on 'Reinventing Axl Rose' than any later version recorded as Against Me! became more and more tainted by full bands, label changes and coffee shop brawls, and Gabel's lyrics especially seem louder, angrier, more passionate throughout. They are still yet to top it.
While I was disappointed in my hope for Tom Gabel's recent solo EP to be in a similar vein to his earlier work, it hardly mattters. The Acoustic EP still sounds fresh and exciting 5 years on (or 7 years, if you bought the 7" version), the songs are still hand-on-your-heart-sing-along classics, and nothing the band does will be able to erase this.
Honestly, not much needs to be said about this record other than that it is essential for any punk fan, and doubly essential for any folk punk fan. A classic.
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