Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Screeching Weasel fan. I own all the songs in their discography. I have Weasel promo pictures and posters displayed in prominent areas around my apartment. I won’t let anyone talk smack about the band. I regard Ben Weasel with high esteem, and that is why it has taken me so long to write this review of his new solo album. You see, I like what Ben has done with Screeching Weasel, I want Ben to like me, but there is no way around it: I did not like Fidatevi. I tried to give it time and the benefit of the doubt, but this album just does not rock the way I wish it would. I know I shouldn’t compare it to the other band, but it pales in comparison. Without Jughead’s happy guitar behind Ben’s pissed-off-sounding vocals, the songs lack balance. On one hand, yes, the lyrics are more introspective and do show a growth in Ben as a person. I like these qualities in his column. Far be it for me to tell someone to not grow and develop as a human. But on the other hand, knowing the kind of music that Ben Weasel has put out in the past, I just wasn’t impressed with this particular album.
–felizon (Panic Button)