TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS - THE BRUTALIST BRICKS (Matador Records)

An album from a D.C.-based political punk band with strong pop sensibilities and classic rock tendencies may sound like an anomaly. But that's exactly what makes The Brutalist Bricks a more truer testament of Ted Leo's enigmatic voice that speaks from the lean fences which protect the college rock community  from the nihilistic punk militia . What makes these thirteen songs more curiously attractive than Living With The Living is less trips to the same musical wells visited by bands like Fugazi, Social Distortion, The Clash and any other band claiming a punk/slash description and more journey into back to basics street rock that makes a better backdrop for folk-y yet melodic storytelling. It's a method that has made artists like Paul Westerberg a critically acclaimed songwriter and could do the same for Mr. Leo

Even with these methods, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have no problem keeping things un-boring and staying an appealing choice to the typical street punk. Both "Even Heroes Have To Die" and "Bottled in the Cork" have enough Strummer-ism to stimulate hunger for those Clash and Mescaleros albums you stashed away and haven't played since 2002. "Gimme The Wire" will give retired pop-punkers from the mid-90s scene something to get both excited and confused about. "One Polaroid A Day" may be a pogo-killer that doesn't have enough 70s-soft rock influence to get the shtick label, but it is possibly the best song on this album. With politically aware lyrics that are more tangible and less cryptic than your standard Manic Street Preachers offering, Ted Leo may grow into one of the most important songwriters of this particular American generation.

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Clicking >>HERE<< will give you a pop-up player where you can hear samples from The Brutalist Bricks