Screeching Weasel Keep It Bright Brief & Hooky On ‘The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasal'(ALBUM REVIEW)

The veterans Screeching Weasel have not been as active since their peak 90’s releases but the songs and style (mostly) remain the same on their 14th studio album The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel.  

The band this go around, Ben Weasel – Lead Vocals, Mike Hunchback – Guitar, Mike Kennerty – Guitar, Vocals, Zach Brandner – Bass Guitar, Pierre Marche – Drums deliver the same Monster Energy Drink fueled poppy punk the outfit is known for but also bring onboard Joe Foster – Keyboards to add new twists to the formula. 

Those could be injecting a carnival-like sound to the propulsive “Hey Diana” or augmenting Ben Weasel’s isolation and quarantine-based lyrics of the chugging “In The Castle” with eerie keyboard backing. Foster’s contributions enhance songs each time they appear such as on “Just Another Fool” and “Gates Lift High Your Heads” but the keyboards never take away from the core adolescent punk base. 

The best of the bunch is “My Favorite Nightmare” which uses tambourines, revved up the low end, and a bright guitar solo to soar around the defeatist yet snottily resistant lyrics. Opener “Six Ways To Sunday” takes a Minor Threat vibe and polishes it for the masses while “La Quinta del Sordo” is reminiscent of late-era Ramones. The catchy as all hell “All Stitched Up” is a perfect summer festival mosh pit anthem while “Kill To Cure” incorporates new wave stylings, and piano from Foster, to expertly shift styles. 

In the end, though this is a Screeching Weasel record, and their formula has been well established. “Pandora’s Eyes” deals with relationships and jealousy around head-bopping melody and “Dead Alive” stews in self-hatred while “Any Minute Now” uses the band’s clean production and sound expertly to build singalongs and a winner. When the band gets heavier things aren’t as successful, such as on “How Art Thou Fallen” and album closer “Tell Me Your Lies”.

Overall, Screeching Weasel keeps things brief, bright, and hooky as the group continues to do their patented pop punk justice on The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel.  

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