NOFX, Never Trust A Hippy

This is a NOFX album. You know what you’re going to get: of course, it’s going to be punk rock. It’s going to be the kind of punk rock that made you feel cool to crap in your pants or put egg yolk in your mohawk. You’re going to get power chords, as many as one human can play in a two-minute, 30-second song, and the thumb in the eye of authority that is the punk rock message.

Right off the bat, I could hear the similarity between Never Trust A Hippy and NOFX’s Pump Up the Valium. The first song, “Seeing Double at Triple Rock”, starts out with a catchy, rapid-fire melody which draws some similarity to the first track of Valium, and sprints through each chorus on a full tank of power chords. “You’re Wrong”, a rare acoustic track, is a nice break from the barrage of power chords. It also gives the listener a chance to hear what NOFX is really about; Fat Mike gives his opinion on everything from gay marriage to Columbus Day. The song is a perfect platform for his clever and sardonic pillory against modern politics.

One side thing I wanted to mention, by the way, is the great cover art for the album. Rick Remender, the artist responsible, pens a figure of Jesus like the one you might see on the cover of your Sunday school book, except that this Jesus has a bottle of what looks like it could be Mickey’s in one hand and the fingers of his other hand parted in a peace sign.

Every song on the album is a sonic circle pit waiting for fans, which is great. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything new about this album. If you were looking for the catchy “Oi!” punk from back in the days of Punk in Drublic or the infectious pop-punk and ska of So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes, you won’t find it on this album. When it comes time to run head-first into the mosh pit, I’ll be there, but until then I’ll be spinning the old NOFX records that made mohawks and self-defecation cool.