The members in Defiance, Ohio have never been shy about their political beliefs, especially on the band’s last album, The Great Depression.  But the direct political references to the Bush administration found on “New World Order,” “Lambs of the Slaughter” and other tracks that filled the last album are absent from the band’s latest release, The Fear, The Fear, The Fear.  Instead of dwelling directly on the war in Iraq or other hot topics, the folk-punk sextet from Bloomington, Ohio focuses on the personal and paints a bleak picture of working-class realities.  “The condition is still crushing/as though all the world is crashing,” chief vocalist Geoff sings on the track “The Condition.” 

The band’s lyrical maturity is also evident when local issues are addressed.  The album’s opener, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” tells the tale of a man who was beaten outside of a bar in Bloomington.  The assailants hollered anti-black racial slurs while committing the crime, though the victim was not even black, according to the album’s linear notes.  Despite the grim story that was the inspiration for the song, the track is one of the most energetic on the album.  The song’s unrefined vocals and explosive chorus are sure to draw sing-alongs at the band’s sweaty basement shows. 

The band’s growth, however, does not stop at the album’s subject matter.  Though the album still offers plenty of fist-pumping, two-minute songs, the band’s brand of unplugged punk has matured.  The violin that was used on The Great Depression and the band’s debut album, Share What Ya Got, is used in all of the right places on The Fear to provide a fine contrast to the heart-felt screams and rapid drum beats.  Other instruments are noticeable, too.  The track “Now, Now, Now” starts off with a piano melody, followed by the deep hum of a cello. 

Most of the changes are welcome and suit the band’s growth; however, the album’s flaw is that some of the songs build and build, but never erupt.  The album also could have benefited from the female vocals that filled some of the tracks on The Great Depression and provided strong melodies. 

The Fear may not be filled with as many anthemic tracks as the band’s last album, but its melancholy tone is a fair reflection of the current condition of the U.S., and by focusing on the personal, the band has avoided rehashing the same political rhetoric over and over again.

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