After 25 years in the game,
NOFX
are still going and are still as bratty as ever, sneering as they tackle their favorite subjects: drinking (
"The Quitter,"
"I Am an Alcoholic,"
"First Call"
), anti-religion (
"Best God in Show,"
"Blasphemy [The Victimless Crime]"
), and anti-patriotism (
"We Called It America,"
"Suits and Ladders"
). Nothing new there, but along with well-trodden themes of partying, agnosticism, and clever observations about their scene, there's a big departure this time around that comes in the form of
"My Orphan Year."
Fat Mike
is at his most confessional in a rare, sincere,
Barbara Walters
moment, wherein he opens up his journal to the dark days with remorseful lyrics about the death of his parents. He reveals himself as a true sad-faced clown tormented by inner demons more than a few times on
Coaster
, admitting, "I didn't try pot 'til I was 21 but now I'm overcompensating" and "My friends are telling me that I need to find a clinic, but I won't, cuz I'm a drug-addicted alcoholic." Life as a pill-popping punk rocker might be taking its toll with age, but when the mood is light,
Mike
and the group are as funny as ever. Prior to a song about the breakup of
Iron Maiden
(
"Bruce, Eddie, and Paul"
), complete with dueling guitar harmonies and a pretty bad
Bruce Dickinson
impersonation, there's an autobiographical account (probably) of first meeting and talking about
Jennifer Tilly
with either
Tegan
or
Sara
couldn't tell) of
Tegan and Sara
, before spooking her severely with talk of drugs and sex (
"Creeping Out Sara"
). As a whole, it's not one of their best records, considering the size of their discography, but it's not a bad little record. Fans will like it since the band is still shining as a tight unit and hasn't lost a step musically, but at the same time, if shoppers are also considering
Backstage Pass
, the
tour documentary DVD released around the same time, that packs more bang for the buck in the extras alone. ~ Jason Lymangrover