The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Armed Love

By far The (International) Noise Conspiracy’s cleanest record, and after relentless touring in support of their breakthrough album, A New Morning, Changing Weather, the Swedish band exchanges the stripped-down, raucous sounds of the past for more radio-friendly fare. This isn’t to say that Armed Love doesn’t teem with the same sociopolitical banter the band is known for, but their new sound seems to water down the message. “Black Mask” and “Communist Moon” both stand out as the album’s best songs, and the band’s usual garage-y sounds will blister listener’s ears. Other songs — specifically “The Dream Is Over,” which (from the title, at least) has the potential to be another political screamer. Instead, producer Rick Rubin does what he does best — makes it a catchy, accessible mess.

Older fans will undoubtedly scream “Sellouts!” after hearing the new album, but The (International) Noise Conspiracy has always been about making music for themselves, and Armed Love follows this same path, even if much of the album sounds like they made it specifically for the label reps. Changing weather, indeed.