Waco Brothers
Album: Freedom and Weep
Lable: Bloodshot Records
3 out of 5

Political correctness was definitely not a consideration when the Waco Brothers wrote Freedom and Weep, but its possible they believe in their own “correctness” which involves plenty of booze, loud guitars, and a closeness to the “left.”

Brash, loud, and full of political angst on their seventh CD, the Wacos rip through 13 tracks on Freedom and Weep like the Democrats who torched their newspapers and kicked in their televisions the morning after the 2004 election. Scared? Maybe you should be.

The Waco Brothers is a collage of musicians with full-time gigs with other bands. The infamous lineup includes: Jon Langford on vocals and guitar (Mekons, Pine Valley Cosmonauts), Deano on vocals and guitar (Wreck, Dollar Store), Steve Goulding on drums (Graham Parker & the Rumour, Mekons), Alan Doughty on bass (Jesus Jones), Mark Durante on steel guitar (Revolting Cocks, KMFDM), and Tracy Dear on mandolin. Since its first album, To the Last Dead Cowboy (1995), the Waco Brothers have been compared to bands like Golden Smog, which is also comprised of all-star players from other bands.

The album’s opening track, “Nothing at All” gives a promising glimpse into the rest of the album. Part country, part punk, partly contrived, but pleasantly entertaining and enlightening to some (and probably offensive to others), Freedom and Weep is a complete mixture of disdain for those currently in power along with a distorted sense of humor, and a unique musical tribute to good old rock n’ roll.

The Waco Brothers wear their political ideals on their sleeve. Take, for example, “Rest of the World,” with lines like: “The champagne’s still on ice\Might as well down it tonight\It ain’t gonna wait four more years\Nor will your rights.” Or on “Drinkin’ & Cheatin’ & Death,” the opening line blasts “Last call before the Fall\Here come the sponsors to drag me away\The system’s shut down and the dancing’s stopped\It was sick but it felt OK.”

The Waco Brothers have a reputation for a “leave it all on the stage” attitude, which can make for a memorable live show or a complete collapse from the numerous bottles and pitchers from the bar. Legend has it that the Wacos have come to be the hallmark band for the impressive SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas, and various CMJ Music Events over the past 10 years.

Some critics consider the Waco Brothers to be a “faux-country band,” nothing more than a side project of talented musicians that maintain careers in other bands while taking out their frustrations via the Wacos. Even if this is true, it is evident that songwriting and musicianship is serious stuff to these guys. Although the album is heavily opinionated, it still fits within the “No Depression\Alt-Country” genre. Despite the heavy attitude on most of the songs, the album is fluid and enjoyable as much as it is comical — depending on how you voted last November.

During the 1960s Vietnam era, folk and rock musicians became a catalyst for protest. Their music electrified and corralled people together under a common goal. In my opinion, we haven’t seen such activism in music since that era until now. While it is certainly on a much smaller scale, the war in Iraq has either spurred another movement or people are just cashing in on the Bush-bashing bandwagon. Musicians and bands like Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, and Son Volt have all come out with songs critical of the current administration, but the Wacos take it a step further (or sideways) by adding a not-so-serious tone while poking fun at the commander-in-chief.

I have a friend whose idea of political activism consists of forwarding tons of pointless chain emails that, unfortunately, are his source for his spoon-fed opinions on governmental affairs (I’m sure you know the type). The Waco Brothers would chew “all talk, and no action” folks like him up. In fact, these political posers are just one of the ingredients behind the Waco’s latest concoction, Freedom and Weep. It might appear that the Wacos are just sore losers, but liberalism is sometimes reactionary and therefore the Brothers have every right to stand up and scream their sardonic lyrics at full volume about what they feel is wrong with this country, even if they are jumping on the bandwagon a little too late.

The album comes out on the reputable Bloodshot Record label on Aug. 16. Ask for it at your local record store.

(Joe Hooten is a WCU graduate and teacher. He can be reached at that_beat@hotmail.com.)