Civil War

Dillinger Four: Billy Morrisette, Erik Funk (vocals, guitar); Perseus Hercules (vocals, bass guitar); Dr. Monkey Hustle (drums).
Additional personnel: Jake Luck (piano).
Audio Mixer: Bruce Templeton.
Audio Remasterer: Bruce Templeton.
Dillinger Four's stout, hearty Midwestern bluster places them comfortably in the company of punk hall of famers like Hüsker Dü, Naked Raygun, Pegboy, and the Replacements. It's everyman stuff: punk spiked with hardcore's outrage and forward motion, and smoothed over slightly with classic pop melodies. Even though it's the band's fourth album, they're not interested in tinkering with something that works for them. Dillinger Four never met an anthemic hook they didn't like, and some of their best can be heard on CIVIL WAR. "The Art of Whore" is a grand, defiant fist-pumper reminiscent of New Jersey's Lifetime in its balance of charging energy and sweet melody, "Parishiltonisametaphor" name-checks the infamous heiress over a hard-charging rhythm, and "Fruity Pebbles" grinds ahead with a survivor's determination and a dreamer's wistful melancholy.