Review: Abusements - "Alabamastan" single

     Alabamastan.... BLAM! Hard to argue with the apparent sentiment of this song. Everybody in Alabama says that Alabama sucks (unless it's the football team, UNLESS they like the other football team) until they hear somebody else say that it sucks and then they feel like they've gotta defend the state's "honor" or something. Montgomery's the Abusements tell us that we gotta get outta here. Again echoing what many of us think. I want to argue and say that, to the contrary, we need more like-minded people to come here and stay. The state really is moving  forward, but slower than frozen molasses (couldn't think of a slow-cotton metaphor, which woulda been more appropriate for the subject) and it always takes 50 years worth of steps back when we let our guards down, so I can't help but to side with yelling to everyone around me, "Get out anyway ya can!". 

    BUT! This is a call to arms. The Abusements think you need to fuckin' decide. Are you going to leave? Or are you going to stay and fight? Whichever it is, decide right now. I agree.
"Alabamastan" is a play on the that oft-heard lament of being somehow trapped here and miserable. They've flipped it! We'll keep fighting to make Alabama a better place to live and if all the generations of assholes who make this place a joke don't like it, THEY CAN GET OUT.

    But.... What about the music?? "Alabamastan" has that next-stage 5-piece Abusements sound. Still hard-spanking punk rock, but more musically evolved. More guitar (of course!). Richer sound than the O.G. band, but still sporting the snide wit and vocalization of one DJ Fake Name. He too has grown but, thankfully, refuses to diminish his wordplay and snotty characterizations. As damn near close to always for this band, the tune demands that ya sing along. So, if you're not gonna change anything, at least sing along and maybe encourage someone else to sing along.... and change things.

-Harmless

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