Back in the late '70s, the punk scene wasn't the place to go if you were looking for a lot of sensitive introspection. Punk was fueled by angst, rebellion, defiance, and gut-level emotion; this was true of punk's angry sociopolitical agitators (
the Clash,
the Sex Pistols) as well as its goofy comedians (
the Ramones,
the Dickies). If you wanted sensitive, poetic, graceful introspection, you listened to
Joan Baez,
Joni Mitchell,
Sandy Denny,
Janis Ian, or
Judy Collins (although
Baez and
the Clash had similar political views). But times change. The '90s saw the rise of many emocore outfits -- emocore being alternative rock that combines punky angst with a lot of introspection. One of emocore's noteworthy bands is
the Line, whose
Monsters We Breed offers a healthy balance of angst and vulnerability. This generally memorable 2001 release has its share of angry punk defiance ("Take What's Ours"), but there is also plenty of sensitivity and introspection on this album. Tunes like "Earthworm Crisis," "What Is Creature," and "Greed Stained the Scene" aren't just about youthful rebellion, they're also about taking a close look at life and trying to make some sense out of it. Back in 1977 and 1978,
Sid Vicious and his in-your-face colleagues would not have come out with something as sensitive and poignant as "Memory." But again, times change. When
Monsters We Breed came out in 2001, there were plenty of alternative rock and emocore artists who realized that being punk-minded didn't mean that they had to hide their vulnerability; in fact, vulnerability is an indispensable part of what
the Line do on this enjoyable and sincere CD. ~ Alex Henderson