Last Anarchists Standing – The Anarchist Ice Cream Club
Last Anarchists Standing – The Anarchist Ice Cream Club – Album Review
Twenty-four tracks! Why-oh-why do people do these things? Need for objectivity detected.
Open mind. Deep breath. There might be five perfect albums with more than twelve tracks on them throughout all of music’s history, but you never know…maybe Last Anarchists Standing will be the one to beat the odds. Let’s push play on The Anarchist Ice Cream Club and see what we can find out here.
“Patient X” sounds like something that’s stripped outta the Purgatory, Missouri podcast we reviewed last year. It’s a tiny fragment of an intro less than a minute in total length, but it clearly sets the stage for the twisted ride you’d expect to follow. It’s got the ice cream man’s theme song in the background, and now I want ice cream, but I’ll try not to hold that against the band while I sit here all ice creamless.
Hmmm. I felt like I had a fairly mixed reaction to “Police State” as the first official song we hear on the record. On the one hand, I appreciate the Punk values and ideals at the core of it all – that’s the positive part for me. On the other hand, riff-wise it feels a little thin, production’s a little on the dusty side, and I’m always going to have issues with singin’ “dadadadadadadada” – but maybe that’s just the way I’m hearing it. I do like that I can hear Last Anarchists Standing clearly bringing what they got to “Police State,” but at the same time, I still want a bit more than I’m hearing. Love the layered vocals, didn’t love the more hushed vocals, like the verses more than the chorus, don’t need the asides during the song – like I said at the start, it’s a bit of a mixed reaction here at the start, but there’s stuff they can build on.
“Open This Door!” is five seconds long, which is when you realize you’re likely in-store for one of THOSE albums…you know…skit, song, skit, song, skit, song…that kinda thing. Some folks absolutely love that, and I respect the fact that it can help strengthen a concept record. For myself personally, I’m usually here more for the music on any album than I am looking to tune into a story, but again, that might just be me. Anyhow – “Lovers At The Wall” started up afterwards, and I began to feel like I could find my way into The Anarchist Ice Cream Club after all. Stripped right outta the Modest Mouse playbook, I still dig this kind of vibe even if I’m long past the days where I regularly listen to that band anymore. It’s got that tight/loose feel to it, and that inexplicably endearing Indie vibe to it…all-in-all, what I hear on “Lovers At The Wall” seemed like a much better fit for the style & production that this band is rockin’ with. Lyrically, you’ll also find a similar cleverness that’s also comparable to Brock’s band…lines like “If you hadn’t stolen my breath, I’d still be holding it” are fantastic, and there are plenty more to be found here too. Tangible hooks…good crunch in the guitars…solid melody…kind of reminds me of how I felt about The Affectionates back when they were in their prime in 2016, and I fucking loved that band too. I never claim to know anything more than YOU do about what does or doesn’t sound good, but from my perspective, there’s a million miles of distance between the impact a track like “Lovers At The Wall” makes over “Police State.” Maybe that’s just the way I’m hearing it, but that’s all I can ever really tell ya. It is however, very much a roundabout way of saying I truly love what I hear on “Lovers At The Wall.”
Do I agree with everything that Last Anarchists Standing are saying on “There Is No Conspiracy?” Yes. Yes in fact I do. An unfiltered attack on data centers is WARRANTED and NECESSARY right now, in my opinion…so heck yeah, skit, interlude or whatever, keep this kind of conversation going PLEASE. From my perspective, AI has already won the war in how the machines have somehow already convinced us to give up our land and most precious resources for the sake of feeding them. While we thought it was going to be like The Terminator, it’s not like that at all. Instead, the convinced us to kill ourselves. Yay!
Okay. So. Just like I’d judge a series of a new show by the third episode as to whether I’m in or out, it’s usually the third sample from a record that has me drawing to conclusions about what I hear in a band or artist I’m listening to. I’ll tell ya this in that respect…”All In My Head” was enough to convince me that there IS something special starting here in Last Anarchists Standing, even if it’s true potential is still far from being realized in full. There are parts of “All In My Head” that I really dig…heck, it’s kind of got this like, Tripping Daisy-esque start before it launches into a more aggressive chorus hook. It’s raw, it’s rough around the edges, but if you grew up in the Grunge era like I did and you still can’t get enough of that whole wonderful quiet/loud dynamic in the music you listen to, you’ll get why I dig this song even if it still sounds more like a demo than what you’ll hear in most of the tunes you have on your playlist. As “Loki’s Serenity Prayer” kicked in afterwards, I found myself appreciating how Last Anarchists Standing are willing to stand up at a time where it’s needed most and speak up while others have been too silent.
The younger me is screaming at the old guy writing this to recognize how damn cool some of this shit is, and I’m inclined to oblige. Like, “Serenity” is a fantastic song y’all, straight up. So much of this record sounds like it could have fit right onto compilations like This Is Fort Apache, DGC Rarities Vol. 1, or the freakin’ Clerks Soundtrack from back in the day, and it’d be at best stupid for me to say I don’t love a comparison like that, if not an outright lie – and I TELL YOU NONE OF THOSE ON THESE PAGES, EVER! So fuck yeah…unpolished as it is, that’s a significant part of the allure on “Serenity” that makes it so damn irresistible to me. I’m still gonna be the guy to tell ya the skits and interludes aren’t entirely necessary, I’m still gonna tell you that there are definitely some songs that are noticeably better than others in the lineup of The Anarchist Ice Cream Club, I’m still not even saying that I’m 100% convinced that there isn’t a piece of this song or that song that could be improved beyond what we’re hearing now either – but what I am DEFINITELY saying, is that when this band gets it right, they REALLY get it right. “Serenity” is an absolutely killer song that I had a very hard moving on from…I just wanted to keep this cut on repeat.
“Who’s Driving This Boat,” poses a very valid question for which I have no sufficient answer for. If there IS someone navigating this floating rock and valley of malls we’re living on, they’re doing a piss poor job. Lyrically, I’m a HUGE fan of “New Titanic” and I can’t resist the verses of this track…that’s a seriously badass groove and it’s absolutely potent AF. The attitude in this song is absolutely AMAZING to listen to when it comes right down to it, and once again, confirmation bias or not, I love what Last Anarchists Standing have to say throughout this track. The whole metaphor of “New Titanic” is fucking BRILLIANT if you ask me. This is a tough song to critique objectively, because the verses really are that incredible to listen to. If I’m being real with ya, I want MORE outta the chorus than we get…it doesn’t quite have the fireworks it needs to raise the stakes or push the song further from the killer gear it starts in…whether they do that through production or performance, it doesn’t really matter, but this is the kind of space where Last Anarchists Standing have the opportunity to evolve in their craft. When you’ve got a song like this that is so immediately kickass, the strengths are likely strong enough to carry the weight of the entire tune…but by the same token, finding ways to level up is what separates the good from the great.
“Break It Down” almost sounds like one of those old Cheech & Chong “Dave’s not here, man” skits. There is a lot of relevant wisdom and insight in the words you’ll find on this record, and if there’s an ounce of resistance and rebellion at the core of your soul, you should get a lot out of listening to it. I really like what’s being said on “Not My Enemy” and how it reflects on just how much it shines a light on how fed up we are with all the bullshit going on right now. There’s always been bullshit going on, yes, I get it – but if you are pretending that it’s not more pronounced at the moment than it has been in your lifetime so far, you better be approaching eighty or I ain’t hearing it. We’re living in dangerous times that are fully fueled by misinformation and a constant diet of gaslighting flooding the zone – and from what I can hear on tracks like “Not My Enemy,” Last Anarchists Standing are the watchers on the wall, sounding the alarm as loud as possible to wake you the FUCK UP. Taking on the threats of technology and the powers that be, “Not My Enemy” is a stellar example of how to go about creating a protest song that delivers. Solid hooks and the right energy in its Alt-Pop/Punk style, “Not My Enemy” will have you amped-up & ready to storm into the nearest government building or Tesla dealership with a big ol’ bat.
“I Knight You” is gettin’ in the way and suckin’ the momentum outta the record coming after “Not My Enemy” – y’all skit/interlude lovin’ folks are just straight up weird to me, I ain’t gonna lie. I remember seeing a show from Our Lady Peace here in Canada back in the day…it was on what they called the Fear Of The Trailer Park tour, which had the Trailer Park Boys doing their comedy bits in between opening bands Seether and Finger Eleven. Same effect – it sapped all the energy out of a whole coliseum of fans. I’m here for the music, man. Don’t get me wrong, if you wanna put out a Spoken Word album, I’ll be the first in line to listen to it, especially if it was made by the kind of minds at work in a band like this one – but yeah man…I’ll try not to keep harping on this issue, but I just don’t feel like these tiny tracks are a necessary inclusion. As I like to remind ya from time to time on these pages of ours, when you hear anything and can’t draw to the conclusion that it’s adding something to the experience, there’s a mighty good chance that it’s taking something away instead. “I Knight You” is pretty much an example of that.
I’ll admit, that was the first time I felt quite as strongly about one of these skits/interludes not needing to be included…but was “I Knight You” actually a harbinger for what was to follow? “Lady Elise” is half baked at best, dear friends in Last Anarchists Standing…and you know that. I’ve always been a firm believer that ears generally work in the same way, no matter which head they’re attached to…and if that’s really the case, then we’ve all gotta acknowledge there’s simply pieces of this song that are coloring too far outside of the lines to be deemed acceptable for consumption – as it currently stands. If you’re asking me about POTENTIAL, then we’re having an entirely different conversation – there is so much to LOVE about the punch “Lady Elise” has in it, that it can almost be a frustrating experience to listen to it, because you’ll find yourself genuinely wishing this cut got a bit more attention to detail than it currently has. “Lady Elise” should be in the conversation about what the best track on this album is, but I don’t think it’s there right now. Like, I don’t mind ANY of the ideas here – I even like the aloof start to this song & breakdown…I just want this all tightened up tonally. The hooks & the immaculate crunch of the guitars in this cut are audible gold…the energy and melody is spectacular…”Lady Elise” deserves a bit more care & polish than it has, that’s all…and this band has the ability to give it that, if they want to.
“My Favorite Flavors” – GRRRR. I know I said I wasn’t gonna harp on the interlude shit, but goddamn. To make matters worse, this particular skit is labeled as “My Favorie Flavors” (sic) in the set-list. YUCK. “May Day” was the title track from the record they put out last year…and I’m about as tossed up on this one as I was with “Police State” at the start of this album, which incidentally also came from the same EP. Much in that same way, I really appreciate what’s being said here on “May Day,” it’s just not quite a song that resonates with me sound/style-wise…and so what? Personal taste is always just a case of it is what it is…no apologies are necessary, we all like what we like and love what we love – if “May Day” is your jam, then turn it the fuck on UP I say! I dig parts of it for sure. I think my main concern right now is that I feel like there’s a better recording of this to be found too. It’s a weird thing…when you first create a song, sometimes you can hear that struggle to keep up to the idea…and in the way this one is sung, you can hear in the verses that there’s so much to say that the dude’s barely getting it all out in time to stick to the metering of the structure. Yet, I betcha the ol’ proverbial dollars to donuts that if he was to sing it NOW, it’d feel like he’s got all the time in the world to get the words out – and that’s simply the effect of repetition, time, and experience combined. As you get more familiar with what you’ve created, it’s like there’s a whole extra couple seconds to do what you wanna do that never seemed to exist before, and that familiarity can really lead to a whole different level of performance in the final results. I don’t know that I’d say they should jump back in the studio to fix this up with the same level of urgency that I feel like they should have with redoing “Lady Elise,” but “May Day” ain’t a bad tune by any stretch.
Don’t need “Faust” in the lineup (obviously), but if these are gonna continue to be included, at least turn them up y’all…most of these skits/interludes are at a serious disadvantage volume-wise, comparatively. And then I feel like…hmm…I’m just short of being indifferent towards “Endymion” I think. I’m not totally against it, but it also felt really damn tough to make a case for it. And WTF is that at the 1:53 mark? Are we takin’ shortcuts now? I actually kinda liked the breakdown in this song…and I felt like I might be able to get onboard with that part…then there’s this bizarre choice someone made to like…what is that? Are you manually turning up the volume on the studio boards? That’s against the rules y’all…it just is. Of course, I can’t be sure that’s what’s happening…but you’ll notice it just like I did when you get to that part of the song – and it feels like…cheating? Unnecessarily lazy? It might be someone just cranking the dial on the guitar in real-time while they’re playing during a recording session too…I dunno what it is precisely, I just know that it accomplishes the opposite effect of what they’re looking to do. The energy is already kickin’ ass…all that spot in the song does is take us out of the moment & have us paying more attention to this tiny fragment of “Endymion” than we should be, instead of staying locked into listening.
Mumble mumble something something…the interludes had more beef and volume towards the start of this record…now y’all got me sounding like the old man on the porch, shaking my fist at the sky, yelling into oblivion trying to get you to turn up the volume. So like…thanks for that…who doesn’t love feeling old? As far as the next track “Start Over” is concerned, this would be a prime example of a song where I like the sentiment and intentions more than the results in the final product. I mean, if you want my true honesty, I might even go as far as to say there’s no more important tune to listen to on this album when it comes to the lyrics…because a TON of people out there would benefit from the message at the core of this song, and I fully respect the band for their attempt to be a light in the darkness on “Start Over.” I don’t really know if I can vouch for there being a song here beyond the lyrical aspect…but there is a part of me that suspects maybe “Start Over” could be the kind of cut that could grow on us as we listen to it as well. It’s really hard to resist a song that’s got such good intentions, but I’ve had more than enough experience in this music business to know that it’s often the most meaningful material we try to create that can also prove to be the most elusive too. Best advice I’ve got here is to not give up on creating this kind of stuff…because it’s genuinely important. In the long run, there might be a better song or vehicle to get this type of message across to the people out there, but if you don’t keep trying, it won’t happen. Full respect to Last Anarchists Standing for writing this – I wanted to like “Start Over” more than I did when it comes to the sound of it all, but sentiment and meaning-wise, it’s one of the best on the record.
“We’re Getting Out Of Here.” Cool. I’m sticking around for the final few songs, respectfully. Though, I’ll admit, when “Let It Burn” came on I wondered if I should rethink my commitment. Obviously, once you have listened to the album, you know that there are only twelve songs in this set list of twenty-four tracks…but I still stand behind my previous comment on more objectivity being needed here with Last Anarchists Standing. It’s been a while since I’ve felt as anti-song as I have since listening to “Let It Burn,” but I’ve just got nothing substantial to say here…I don’t think this track does a damn thing for them, or for the album either. If we’re talkin’ about tunes that should have hit the cutting room floor, “Let It Burn” should have hit it with a resounding THUD louder than the interludes on this record. I’ll say this – it’s probably a stylistic/personal taste thing…so take any of these comments with a grain of salt. To me, it still sounds like the band has put the same level of effort into their performance, which is really all you can ever do. Maybe “Let It Burn” will gel with some of you out there but this one’s a hard pass from me.
Sage advice to be found on “You Can Always,” and if the world keeps going in the direction that it currently finds itself cruising along, you might want to pay extra close attention to this final interlude for some important money making tips that’ll help you keep a few more beans in your pot. At least this cut meets us halfway…yes, it’s still technically part of the interlude/skit dealio, but it’s also part song as well – and I can live with that. Afterwards, “Sell Your Blood” continues to draw further on the concept before the album is all finished up…and…hmm…what can I say here? I like it better than “Let It Burn?” I’m gonna go with that. Is that enough? Probably not, but that’s what I’ve got. I’m not a massive fan of “Sell Your Blood” in comparison to the songs I love most on this record…and to be honest, I think that’s likely the biggest key for this band going forward. There is a massive range in between what’s just okay and what’s undeniably great on this album…and recognizing which is which is crucial to the success of Last Anarchists Standing going forward. A track like “Sell Your Blood” isn’t entirely without merit or devoid of reasons to listen to it…but I’d bet on this cut working wayyyyyy better as a live song than what you’re hearing here on the recording. I’m not saying seeing this live would propel “Sell Your Blood” into my own personal top five from The Anarchist Ice Cream Club, but I do think it has the kind of character to it that translates much better live than it does recorded. Overall, there’s real positives for them to build on throughout the lineup of songs on this record, and to be completely fair to Last Anarchists Standing, it’s the debut album from what I can see online and there’s always bound to be ups & downs as a band gets dialed into their sound, what they can do with it, and where it can take them in the long run…so give’em some time to do that. For now, take what you love from it and turn it on UP, and be comfortable in the knowledge that they’re onto something here…we might not fully know WHAT that is just yet, but unless my ears deceive me, there’s plenty to enjoy now, and likely even MORE in the future.
Find more music from Last Anarchists Standing at Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/lastanarchistsstanding
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