Orange County, Calif., by some accounts America's most Republican county, does not come to mind when one considers the roots of punk music, but it should.
This affluent slice of the Golden State was the birthplace of Social Distortion, an early front-runner in the West Coast punk scene of the 1980s.
After eight years of relative inactivity, sprinkled lightly with solo albums and cover songs, the band's release of a full-length LP, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, signals its return to the front lines of the American culture wars, following the death of guitarist Dennis Danell, who died of natural causes in 2000.
As relevant today as it was more than two decades ago, lead singer Mike Ness' brazen sound is a refreshing departure from the pseudo-punk trash pandered by current MTV outfits such as Yellowcard and Good Charlotte.
His album, at times a tribute to a late bandmate, balances the raw ferocity of the punk genre with a seasoned maturity that comes with more than 20 years' experience.
That's not to say Ness doesn't serve up a fair share of the youthful idealism - and sometimes cynicism -- upon which his band, and punk music, was built.
On "Don't Take Me for Granted," written for Danell, Ness eulogizes disenfranchised youth, conjuring images of cigarettes and six-packs and the magic of going to live rock shows. The kids are all right, he says, so just let 'em have their fun.
Ness leaves behind this confident optimism on "Nickels and Dimes," which lauds the benefits of wasting time. The "jailhouse poet" returns to familiar themes in this punchy mantra touting the benefits subsistence.
The album as a whole, generally upbeat and thoughtful, is built on a solid foundation of driving guitars and unshy percussion.
However, Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll does sometimes digress from typical West Coast decibels. "Winners and Losers" stands out for its slow-tempo and deliberate chorus, which Ness uses as a sounding board for his guttural vocals sung over passionate chords.
The band has come a long way since it formed in the midst of one of America's most establishmentarian locales.
Social Distortion, like the prospectors of 1849, brought to California, and eventually the world, something that was severely lacking - a lust for life and an affinity for sex, love and rock 'n' roll.
This album, long overdue, is pure gold.
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
