”Let’s fuck shit up.” With those four words, Laura Jane Grace addressed the audience in the introduction to 23 Live Sex Acts more than she did on most of 2006’s Americans Abroad. Upon hearing that, I was very open to this newfound desire to connect. Laura has a damn important story to tell and the album’s track list serves as a memoir of sorts, highlighting significant moments in her life. Given everything that Against Me! has accomplished leading up to and over the course of 2014, there’s no better time than now for a new live record to shout at people about what’s going on.
Against Me! sound really good on this record. As performers, they are tighter than ever. It’s hard to believe that this the same-ish band from 9 years ago. Given how short of a time the current line up has been together compared to the crew from 2006, it’s astonishing to see where they are in their playing. These four are having a damn good time together on stage and there is nothing better than that. Compare the 23 songs on this album to the 17 on Americans Abroad and over and over again, you get a sense of how much more comfortable Laura Jane Grace has become with herself, her band, and the audience. As opposed to using music to connect on a level of pure anger and frustration, 23 Live Sex Acts treats you to a front-woman just as angry 9 years later, now with a need to share her story in an effort to attract anyone who went through what she did to the party. Given that the album is compiled from various performances throughout the year and all sound equally as good, you get a sense between the band of a collective desire to empower that pushes them to be at their best every time they take the stage.
The mixing here is the tops and deserves special mention because it brings welcome newness to the band’s sound. Marc Jacob Hudson, who recently worked with The Worries, Taking Back Sunday, and Saves the Day, was behind the sound boards this time around. Throughout the record, Hudson demonstrates a clear understanding of how an Against Me! live album should sound. You always pick up exactly what you need to hear, exactly when you need to hear it, and exactly as loud as it needs to be. Inge Johansson’s bass work is one of my favorite recent additions. Given how many times I have seen Against Me! since he joined, it is a shame that this is the first time I’m really noticing how god damn good he is. This new vigor is also due in large part to drummer/professional hair-flipper Atom Willard who is better than he’s ever been. Laura’s exercise of her special relationship with her rhythm section in the innovative breaks and fills that show up throughout come across just as fun on the record as they do in the pit.
As a result, staples like “Pints of Guinness”, “Don’t Lose Touch”, “We Laugh at Danger”, and “Cliche Guevara” have new life breathed into them. It’s invigorating to hear a song for the X,000th time and have it sound fresh again. “The Ocean” stands out as an obvious favorite. Punctuated by Inge’s bass work, Laura’s expression of what a joy the show was, her visceral screams during the climax, the song transforms into an uplifting celebration of everything the band has been through recently. Another particular high point came during “New Wave.” I won’t spoil what happens, but if you go to enough Against Me! shows, you will eventually witness exactly this.
”23 Live Sex Acts” is everything a live record should be. On top of how crisp is sounds, it looks fantastic thanks to another triumphant cover art by Steak Mountain. It serves as a perfect bookend to a pivotal chapter in Against Me!’s history and introduces a band ready to blast ahead and continue fucking shit up for some time to come.