Is it really true? Under the rough, jagged, angry exterior that defines Greg Graffin, the voice of punk rock's most elite and respected, lies an old softie?
As it turns out, yes. Although you'd never know it by his work with hardcore legends Bad Religion, Graffin's introspection spans more than political ideology and spitfire rage. To let the world in on this masked persona, in 1997 Graffin took a step back from fronting the band so that his softer side could show.
This solo project, titled American Lesion, puts the leader of punk rock's thinking men behind a piano and calms him down a bit. Mostly acoustic, the album delves into a personal side of Graffin - the lyrics focus on his life, and not the politics and anger that saturate Bad Religion's work.
But have no fear: just because an album's tone is smoothed, and the pummeling guitars and the soaring harmonies are replaced by a simple piano and plaintive lyrics, doesn't mean that Graffin's trademark poeticism has been forgotten as well. He's always been the mastermind behind Bad Religion's cerebral lyrics, and what we have with this project is essentially a collection of his poetry. American Lesion combines a series of these verses, a piano, and Graffin's distinctive, sonorous voice -one still imbued with a punk sensibility that makes his words all the more endearing.
Graffin utilizes this skill to make an album that is intensely personal. Its sound is a 180 degree turn from his work with the band, save for the poetic quality of the lyrics. Bad Religion's strength has always been its highly-intelligent, artful gift for expressing ideas. American Lesion continues this trend, but this time the focus is purely Graffin. One look at a snippet of "One I Fail" makes this clear: "One day my life will be/A chocolate shake and late night T.V./But right now I'm afraid of everything that is goin' down/Too many decisions, Too much responsibility/And no one is there to hold me When I fail." Aw Greg, who knew?
Couple words like this with resonant vocals, and back them with a sparse smattering of instruments, and Graffin has the listener captivated. Any fan of Bad Religion will profess the beauty of Graffin's voice, which usually manages to delight the ear in sharp contrast to its pummeling punk background. Strip this harsh foil away, and the vocals serve as a main instrument. Album opener "Opinion" combines the voice, the background music that can only be called "easy listening," and trademark Graffin lyrics ("The cruel impatient tyrant/The frustrated malcontent/The need to find the pieces/And the absence of cement").
Having said this, it's also safe to assume that listeners unfamiliar with Bad Religion might not fully enjoy American Lesion; at least, they might not appreciate the work as much as fans would. Those unfamiliar with hearing Graffin's distinctive voice backed by high voltage electricity and angry punk might not appreciate these ballads of love, confusion, and sorrow. The album's charm lies in the notion that this is Greg Graffin, spouter of angry punk rock manifestos. It's not really fair to judge an album in the shadow of another, but with this one, you're forced to.
But even Bad Religion fans can find humor in his attempts at toned-down punk. Let's be serious - singing "You piece of shit/You piece of shit/You piece of shit" while plunking softly on piano keys just doesn't translate. Save it for the punk.
