Anti-Flag — The Bright Lights Of America

Pittsburgh's Anti-Flag have long been one of the United States' most outspoken punk outfits and their eight studio album, The Bright Lights Of America, takes a decided potshot at the good ol' stars and stripes. Bright Lights' 12 tracks of anguished American angst burn and churn in all the right places, and unlike a lot of punk bands, Anti-Flag aren't afraid to draw things out a bit to get their point across. Tempo-shifting tracks like "Vices" keep the listener on edge and wisely display that you don't necessarily have to go full throttle to get one's point across. Then again, there's plenty of pure hooky punk like "The Modern Rome Burning" and "No Warning" if that's more your speed. This is a fine, self-assured listen that offers value in its reliability.

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