Hey, Against Me!, thanks a fucking lot. And you there, This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb! You’ve got some shit to answer for as well, pal. You know why? Because you’ve created monsters, that’s why. It’s funny to think that even as recently as four years ago, an entirely new sub-genre of punk was actively being fleshed out. I’m talking about, like I said, TBIAPB, the first two Against Me! seven inches, etc. Folk punk. Punks with acoustic guitars. Frankenstein’s foundation, intentionally or not, was being built. Admittedly, I love the first two Against Me! seven inches, love ‘em. But I’m continually amazed at just how many people have jumped on the bandwagon. Reminds me of the pop punk explosion, ca. 1994-95. Green Day had signed, Screeching Weasel was still putting out great records; you couldn’t take a piss without running into some band that sang exclusively about girls and had lots of “whoa whoa whoa’s” in the background. So add Team Chocolate to the creeping influx of bands that are now forsaking ye olde distortion pedal and hitting things clean. Befitting their name, the band’s a male/female two piece (probably involved in a relationship, judging by the amount of handholding and hugging that’s going on in the accompanying lyric booklet) that is just as sweet as all get out. Decent lyrics for sure, but the woman’s voice is like a straight shot of saccharine right into a vein: cloying as hell. Best I can say is, if you’re a fan of acoustic Plan-It-X stuff, specifically Erin Tobey’s solo stuff or the Abe Froman songs where she doesn’t screech, then you’ll probably love this stuff. Me, I listened to it and felt like I’d just beer-bonged nine gallons of cocoa.
–keith (All Things Ordinary)