Guitars, Drums, Tones, and Saxophones

Joey Cape - Bridge

So, I have some mixed feelings on this album. Taken completely by itself, it’s a 4 star album, no question. The songs are strong, and in his long career as lead singer for punk stalwarts Lagwagon, Joey Cape has perfected his own vocal stylings. So the simple, acoustic arrangements allow him to shine. So what’s the deal?

The deal, I guess, is Lagwagon itself.

More specifically, it’s the 2008 Lagwagon EP, I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon.

See, of the 12 tracks on this album, 5 of them appear on the aforementioned EP. An honestly, some of them really benefit from the full-throttle, full-band sound. (“B-Side” in particular) Now I freely admit, had Bridge been released before I Think My Older Brother…, I very well might prefer the stripped down, acoustic style for these songs. But I really believe some of these songs just work better as Lagwagon songs, and having heard them performed that way, it’s difficult to really get behind these versions.

I’d like to take a moment to say that I’m not opposed to punk songs reimagined by their original artists as acoustic numbers. The version of Bad Religion’s “Cease” from Greg Graffin’s American Lesion album I think is absolutely stunning, and radically alters the mood of the song from the righteous anger of the original to a sort of mournful sadness.

Of course, it’s not all negative; not by any means! Just because the Lagwgon versions of some tracks are better does not make these bad. Cape is an extremely competent songwriter, and this is some great stuff. It all seems rather wistful and has a mix of both looking back and the years that have passed, (“The Ramones Are Dead”) and looking at where it’s brought him. (“What We’ve Become”) This, combined with the self-deprecating title of the Lagwagon EP, gives the listener a good idea of where Joey’s head is at. He seems pretty happy about where his life is; while the lyrics may not reflect this, it’s clear his daughter Violet brings him a lot of joy. She features in vocals at the end of the excellent “Canoe,” the liner notes are topped with a picture of Joey and Violet, and the labels on the record are drawn by her.

Overall this is a very personal album. It’s a strong solo effort, and while it’s not as good as the best Lagwagon records (hi, Let’s Talk About Feelings and Trashed) it’s certainly a worthwhile listen for a fan of that band. I think, though, that I would recommend it more for the non-punk fan.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Editor’s Note: If you’re curious about the album, it’s available to stream for free on Punknews.org. Check it out here.

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