Tom Gabel - Heart Burns

Artist: Tom Gabel

Album: Heart Burns

Label: Sire/Warner

Since Against Me! skyrocketed to mainstream fame a short year ago, their success and current sound has become the stuff of heated underground debate.  Did they sell their souls?  Are they still a "folk-punk" band?  Are they hypocrites?  And the list of accusations and questions goes on.  Generally the band did a good job of ignoring criticism (with the exception of a few explosive comments).  But with the release of lead vocalist Tom Gabel's solo debut a year later, I can't help but think those comments may have stung Gabel more than initially let on.

Throughout Heart Burns Tom Gabel arguably tries to acquaint new fans with his band's legacy, and reacquaint skeptical old fans with his new self.  While Butch Vig (Nirvana, Against Me!) retains his controversial position as executive producer (layering on excessive coats of polish), Heart Burns takes Gabel back to to a simpler time.  When it comes right down to it, most tracks consist of a guitar (acoustic or otherwise), Gabel's signature vocals, and a drum machine.  Basically, imagine if Butch Vig produced Against Me!'s crown gem, 2003's As the Eternal Cowboy.

For the first time in a while Gabel picks up his trusty acoustic guitar.  "Harsh Realms" finds Gabel in his loneliest track, crying "don't abandon me" while coping with day to day demands of the modern world.  Meanwhile, the grand acoustic choruses of "100 Years of War" perfectly capture the essence of Against Me!'s past social minded punk anthems.  Reassuringly, Gabel's signature disjointed lyrical structure resurfaces in "Conceptual Paths," squeezing the most out of his melodies.   Here he crams phrases like "Conceptual paths wide open, I'm Scared to Death/Existential weight no longer holds you back" into brief choral moments.  When Gabel picks up his electric guitar he plays a minimalist acoustic style. For example, in "Cowards Sing at Night" he entirely ditches the drum machine, and in "Amputations," a more rock influenced track with an explosive chorus and a cameo from Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, the lack of bass prevents the song from sounding too "grand."

In "Anna is a Stool Pigeon," no doubt the album's intended centerpiece, Gabel's old friend Chuck Ragan (of recent solo fame) makes a brief appearance, reminding fans that Gabel hasn't forgotten about his old friends. The song, a catchy four minute tale about a poitical activist mistakenly "falling in love with an FBI informant," expands Gabel's sound thanks to Ragan's harmonica, which has become senonomous with folk music in recent years. Unfortunately though, the song's high caliber serves more as a reminder of how great Gabel is with a full band, ultimately detracting from the rest of the album.  But generally, I found it quite refreshing listening to Gabel rediscover his folk roots.

However, I cannot conclude this review without discussing the album's opening track, and most out of place song, Heart Burns.  While it's a damn catchy tune, the steadfast guitaring and overpowering echo distortion feel like something from Matt Skiba's side project, Heavens - not necessarily a bad thing, but very confusing as an opener to a folk-dominated album.  Thankfully though, the digital version of the album comes with an acoustic version of the song - which I recommend replacing the official version with on your music player.

Overall Heart Burns provides an interesting 7 song survey of Tom Gabel's past and current career, and makes me quite curious about his approach with Against Me!'s next album.