Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet - These Ones Are Bitter (2007) RESTORED

These Ones Are Bitter is former SCREECHING WEASEL and RIVERDALES frontman Ben Weasel's first album in five years. It's been well worth the wait. With These Ones Are Bitter, Weasel demonstrates his characteristic lyrical insight and humor along with his uncanny knack for writing first-rate melodic punk songs - the album's 14 tracks attack the themes of broken hearts and love gone bad like so many sugar coated shotgun blasts. Backed by rock solid arrangements and aggressive, passionate performances, These Ones Are Bitter showcases pop-punks most prominent singer/songwriter at the top of his game. Produced by THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS' Mike Kennerty (who also played guitar), the album features Dan Andriano (ALKALINE TRIO) on bass and Chris Gaylor (ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS) on drums.

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Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet - These Ones Are Bitter (2007) RESTORED

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Summer started the month ago, and this new Ben Weasel record could not have come at a better time. It's been a while since Ben has released anything new, but this makes it well worth the wait. The songwriting is confident and concise, the melodies are as strong as Screeching Weasel's best work, and his voice sounds better than ever. "These Ones Are Bitter" is filled with the sort of immediately catchy pop tunes he's become known for over the past two decades, but it also branches off into new directions to keep things fresh.

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Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet - These Ones Are Bitter (2007) RESTORED

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Many songwriters make the mistake of purposely distancing themselves from their past when "going solo". Weasel makes more than a handful of nods to his previous band; "Affected By You" picks up lyrically (and thematically) where "I Don't Care Anymore" from the Formula 27 EP left off and "The First Day of Spring" brings his "first day" series on the later Screeching Weasel records full circle, among others. Rather than stick with the old formula, though, he takes the strongest points of his work in SW and the Riverdales and expands on them. This extends to the lyrics as well, which are as heartfelt and sincere as "Emo" and his first solo record but are worked into melodies and harmonies much more on the pop side of things this time around. The most notable difference in sound is due to the change in Ben's band. Backed by half of the All-American Rejects and Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio on bass, the end result is something both very similar and very different from Ben's past projects. Andriano is an excellent bassist, but the record feels like it's missing what he could've potentially added with his style of playing. Guitarist Mike Kennerty has some moments that are extremely reminiscent of Ben's former bandmate John Pierson, but then often breaks off into more complex leads. Most of the time it works, but every now and then it feels a bit too busy and forced. These are minor issues, however, because the overall writing and performance is better than the sum of the individual member's parts. Ben has taken the best parts of his past and built a new sound with them. And it's just in time for the perfect season for it.

Tracklist:

01. Let Freedom Ring
02. In A Few Days
03. Got My Number
04. Happy Saturday
05. Sour All Over
06. The First Day Of Spring
07. Blue Is The Ocean
08. Affected By You
09. Jeanette
10. Addition By Subtraction
11. Give It Time
12. Summer's Always Gone Too Soon
13. In A Bad Place
14. Only In November

all songs written by Ben Foster


Produced by Mike Kennerty
Engineered by Mike Kennerty, Jon Linton, Dan Adriano & Justin Perkins
Mixed & Mastered at Smart in May, 2007 by Justin Perkins
addtional keyboards by Kevin Saulnier.

• Ben Weasel - vocals
• Dan Andriano - bass (of Alkaline Trio)
• Mike Kennerty - guitars (of the All-American Rejects)
• Chris Gaylor - drums (of the All-American Rejects)

Originally released via Mendota Recording Co. as Digital download only: June 26, 2007
Later on vinyl and finally Re-Released on CD by Asian Man Records: April 7, 2009
Format: Original Recording Reissued
Catalog No.: AM-175CD