The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Having stuck around since the late 1980s, Anti-Flag has become old enough to address the same young, impressionable people they once were when they formed so long ago. Ever ambitious and straight to the point, the Pittsburgh-based punk rock foursome is as approachable as at any other time in their storied career with Lies They Tell Our Children (Spinefarm Records). Rife with on-brand “fuck the system” anthems and guest appearances by like-minded rabble-rousers, the songs pack such an easily consumable punch.

Anti-Flag’s ability to meld groovy, bouncy, toe-tapping pop punk with activist-tinged lyrical elements is nothing new for the band, though this record in particular perfectly combines the two. As catchy as Justin Sane’s vocal hooks are, the writing leaves no room for misinterpretation. Tackling relevant ideas such as the polarizing political climate (“There’s a headline telling you that this is the end / There’s no conversation; it’s still us vs. them”), the continued exploitation of the lower-middle-class workforce (“Work and struggle and be grateful for it”) and the constant misinformation fed to this generation’s youth (“The lies they tell our children / Shaping everything we know”), nothing and no one is safe from scrutiny.

 

Opener ‘Sold Everything’ is a massively tongue-in-cheek ditty that conjures a campfire circle of discontent. ‘Modern Meta Medicine’, featuring Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach, aims its sights on Big Pharma and the over-prescribing epidemic. And the likes of Shane Told (Silverstein), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) and Campino (Die Toten Hosen) provide a worthy stamp of approval.

Lies… is everything a sensational punk-pop album requires. Standout track ‘Victory Or Death (We Gave ‘Em Hell)’ even dabbles in early fun while introducing a spot-on live song to experience with strangers: “Raise a glass to the lost and the brave.” It’s textbook Anti-Flag, but it’s also a reassuring example of the band’s longevity. Never starved for fluid harmonies and chanty choruses, it’s utterly impossible to grow sick of their penchant for protest.

Buy the album here:

https://antiflag.lnk.to/LIESTHEYTELLOURCHILDREN

 

9 / 10

MATT COOK