Here's to the Mourning - Unwritten Law

Unwritten Law are quite an anomaly in the current pop-punk music scene. They aren't cute, their songs can be sloppy, and frontman Scott Russo seems to have a fixation on the darker things in life, you know, as opposed to high-school romances. "Here's To The Mourning," the follow-up to 2002's breakthrough "Elva," no doubt comes from a dark place. Russo's angsty lyrics, for the most part on here, revolve around drug abuse and bad relationships, topics that are not new, but are handled very maturely and passionately in the hands of this band. The single "Save Me" sets the tone for the rest of the album, which could be seen as a concept piece. The song is perfectly structured and takes dark material into catchy territory. Elsewhere, the band gets sloppier, but that's o.k. The music on here isn't focused on one genre specifically, and some of the songs move in unexpected ways. Overall, the album doesn't have much of a polish to it. "I Like The Way," one of the signature songs, an ode to drug-use, is a perfect example of how infectious and fine-tuned this band can be, but also why will never quite fit in on mainstream radio. "Because Of You" is the lone ballad, and is complimented nicely by the spiteful "She Says." Other highlights include the straight rockers "Lost Control" and "Celebration Song." The album goes on without a hitch, even if it is a bit awkward and different, and not very refined. Afterall, that's what true rock and roll is about, right?Unwritten Law have written catchier songs in the past without an outsider, and the rest of the album is a testament to how good they are without a song-doctor. But I guess we'll never know the reasons. Who cares, though, right? It's an amazing album, the first great release of the year. It just cements my respect for Unwritten Law and I highly recommend it to anyone.