DWAR: Lagwagon - Blaze

DOG WALK ALBUM REVIEWS: where I walk the dog and listen to an entire album. my mind is free to wander, and I like reviewing shit. don’t expect these to be “good,” or even to totally make sense. sometimes I take notes while I walk, sometimes I don’t.

album: Lagwagon – Blaze (2003)

as I walked the dog around the park I couldn’t stop thinking about Jason Heller from the Westword. he’s a guy a like and a writer I respect. he’s back on facebook and I’m equally pleased and annoyed by it. he wrote something the other day – that I’m not going to bother to look up for accuracy – that was like, “Lagwagon has been around for 25 years and I couldn’t tell you what they sound like.”

yeah ok bro. you were literally in the Fat Wreck documentary. and you don’t know what Lagwagon sounds like. sure. it’s this kind of dull, reflexive contrarianism about shit that doesn’t really deserve it that frequently makes Gen X a bad hang. just needlessly provocative to annoy people who should be your ostensible allies. worse were the poseurs in the comments enthusiastically trying to co-sign this lukewarm take. I hate that I read the comments.

because this album rules. this might actually be my favorite Lagwagon album, which is saying something because Hoss exists. but it’s like the “adult” version of Lagwagon. god, I’m sniffing my own farts again. but I literally stopped walking and typed this sentence into my phone: Never Stops is as perfect a snapshot of the American mood immediately after 9/11 as exists.

I saw them play this whole album live at the Marquis and it was the loudest goddamn show I’ve ever been to. this album is an underrated shredder. it’s a fucking journey like a Tarantino movie is a journey. just the whole spectrum of human experience. I’m always exhausted when it’s over, but like in a good way.

“Dividers” is really, really fucking good. I have no idea if other people love this song, but I think it’s probably underrated.

four stars.