Review

Though he's long since moved on from his youthful hardcore roots, Ted Leo continues to maintain the emotional spirit of that music in this muscular and melodic set of tunes that resembles a highly caffeinated version of the Jam. Leo is still a "punk," but in the same way that early Elvis Costello was — not so much in style as in attitude, spitting out carefully barbed lyrics with earnest vehemence. It's blistering, blustery punk rock for grown-ups.

The album kicks off with its strongest track, the urgent, swooning "Me and Mia." Recent world events appear to have made the singer/songwriter newly re-engaged in politics, as reflected in the lyrics of songs such as the hurtling title track and "The One Who Got Us Out," in which Leo declares over a hopping pop-hardcore beat, "All they want is one who'll lead/ And I'll put it to you plain and bluntly/ I'm worried for my tired country." Leo's overly explicit lyrical agenda occasionally gets the better of him — politics and rock are not necessarily the sexiest of bedfellows, and there are the occasional moments of trite sloganeering. Ultimately, though, Leo effectively channels his righteous anger into a spirited, addictively consistent and ultimately hopeful record for our tormented times.