This review is part of a series looking back at significant albums on their anniversaries. Through the benefit of hindsight we will be viewing the album not just as it was released, but how it stands the test of time, as well as its place in the band’s discography and the genre in general. This is also a guest review courtesy of friend-of-TGEGM Josh Kates of Jersey Calling.
Fat Wreck Chords – 03 Nov 2003
A precursor to the next album that still stands tall on its own
I’m always late to the party, especially when it comes to music. I didn’t listen to Green Day’s Dookie when it came out in 1994 and everyone in my middle school was losing their minds over the punk revival it caused, and it wasn’t until 2005 (two years after Against Me! released As the Eternal Cowboy) that I found myself sitting on my kitchen floor, drunkenly screaming the lyrics to “Sink, Florida, Sink” with a friend of mine as we finished off a bottle of whiskey.
For me, the lasting impact of this album can’t be overstated. The first time I heard it, I honestly wasn’t sure if I liked the coarse, painful-sounding screams of Laura Jane Grace’s voice in songs like “Rice and Bread,” but other samplings like “Cavalier Eternal” and “Unsubstantiated Rumors Are Good Enough for Me (To Base My Life Upon)” drew me in with the warm melodies and poetic lyrics. Over time, I grew to love the punch-in-the-face aggressiveness and honesty of “TSR,” which perfectly encapsulates the overall sound that became Against Me!’s trademark throughout their catalog, and to this day, “You Look Like I Need a Drink” is one of my favorite songs of all time. The way Laura tells a story and conveys her raw emotion through hthe lyrics is something I strive to emulate with my own song-writing– a nigh-impossible benchmark of perfection to which I regularly fall short. This band showed me that socio-political punk doesn’t have to be preachy, as their message comes to the audience through the lens of individual and inter-personal struggles with the status-quo, micro and macro-relationships that affect us on a systemic level and poison our interactions with one another.
While …As The Eternal Cowboy may not be held as dear to their fanbase as their prior release, the iconic …Is Reinventing Axl Rose, for me it’s a much more personal album, putting Laura’s versatility and vocal range on full display for the audience, and opens another window into her struggles with identity and her rejection of societal norms. Additionally, their live performances of songs like “Cliché Guevara” and the instrumental “A Brief Yet Triumphant Intermission” are always well-received by an audience eager for the frenetic energy that this band always brings. While arguably less impactful than their previous release, As the Eternal Cowboy is the perfect transition to their follow-up album, Searching for a Former Clarity, as it tells the overall story of Laura coming to grips with the person she was always meant to be, and bringing us along for the journey as she finds her true voice.
Josh Kates is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Jersey Calling, a punk rock quintet from southern New Jersey that just released their third album on all streaming services. Follow them @jerseycalling on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
