Captain, My Captain, the sophomore album from the queercore band
Team Dresch, resumes where
Personal Best left off two years earlier. Like
Personal Best,
Captain, My Captain focuses on the struggle, angst, and confusion of being a lesbian. At the same time, the album is able to transcend the lesbian cause, making universally applicable statements about individual freedom, politics, and self-respect. The following quote illustrates the superior lyrics: "My mom says she loves me but I don't think its love 'cause she only loves me when I act just like she does and that's emotional blackmail." The fierce and biting lyrics are aided by raging, skilled punk rock sounds, creating one of the most intense and meaningful punk revival albums to date. Unfortunately,
Captain My Captain, which yields few innovations, is unable to surpass the high standard set by
Personal Best. However,
Team Dresch is still able to accomplish more in this 35 minutes than many bands can in their entire career. ~ John Hinrichsen