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By: Brian Gearing
If any album was going to break Ted Leo to the masses it was probably 2004's Shake the Sheets, a radio-friendly pop-punk cheerleading exercise that asked, "Do you believe in something beautiful? Then get up and be it." Though heavily laced with Leo’s leftist political proselytizing, the message was cleverly woven between the lines. While half of his latest, Living with the Living (Touch & Go), leaves the politics behind, the other half may come on a little strong for those who just want to dance.
When "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb" rips a whole in the speakers, Leo shows he's not hiding behind major chords and dance-punk this time around. He drops his payload over Capitol Hill, aiming straight for the hawks who move soldiers around like pawns on 'Army Bound,' which identifies with young Americans sitting on the curbs of dead-end streets but can’t forget who pulls the triggers. "C.I.A." is equally direct, and if it weren't for the album's softer side, Leo might even find himself serenading the object of his, er, affection.
Despite the anger and frustration at the center of Leo's aggressive riffing and raw vocals, the main message of Living with the Living is in the title. "La Costa Brava" woos a sweetheart home from the frontlines of protests and petitions, and "Colleen" mourns the loss of self that comes with a dedication to others. In the former, Leo makes his message clear: "Everyone needs to take some time away." While we can’t forget the dead, we have to live with the living.
JamBase | Worldwide
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