NoFX - Coaster (2009)

Coaster is the eleventh studio album by NOFX, which was released on April 28, 2009. Although they've built their long career on a foundation of jokey, melodic punk rock, California mainstay NOFX have slowly but surely allowed a surprising depth to enter their songwriting. Their new album, COASTER, recorded yet again for their own successful Fat Wreck Chords label, certainly has its goofy moments, such as the Tegan & Sara-baiting "Creeping Out Sara" and the Christian-skewering reggae of "Best God In Show", but their sardonic wit is now often used for larger purposes. Songs like the autobiographical "My Orphan Year", about the death of singer Fat Mike's parents, and the gritty street-punk of "We Called it America" display a sharper grasp of adult concerns than NOFX are generally given credit for. No matter how serious they get, however, the music is, as always, exhilarating, top-flight punk reminiscent of '80s Southern California giants like the Descendents and Adolescents.

×

NoFX - Coaster (2009)

Close

Writing and recording sessions for Coaster took place from November 2008 to February 2009. The album was simultaneously released on vinyl under the title Frisbee with alternative artwork. The covers of both Coaster and Frisbee are in a style reminiscent of graphic design from the 1970s. The lyric booklet included with Coaster also includes photos of the band members from that time period. The cover art of Coaster shows a compact disc being used as an alcoholic drink coaster with the disc art side facing down (data side facing up). The rear cover shows various older NOFX albums also being used as coasters with the disc art facing up. The disc art itself declares "Absorbing Alcohol Since 1983" (the year the band formed).

After 25 years in the game, NOFX are still going and are still as bratty as ever, sneering as they tackle their favorite subjects: drinking ("The Quitter", "I Am an Alcoholic", "First Call"), anti-religion ("Best God in Show", "Blasphemy [The Victimless Crime]"), and anti-patriotism ("We Called It America", "Suits and Ladders"). Nothing new there, but along with well-trodden themes of partying, agnosticism, and clever observations about their scene, there's a big departure this time around that comes in the form of "My Orphan Year". Fat Mike is at his most confessional in a rare, sincere, Barbara Walters moment, wherein he opens up his journal to the dark days with remorseful lyrics about the death of his parents. He reveals himself as a true sad-faced clown tormented by inner demons more than a few times on Coaster, admitting, "I didn't try pot 'til I was 21 but now I'm overcompensating" and "My friends are telling me that I need to find a clinic, but I won't, cuz I'm a drug-addicted alcoholic". Life as a pill-popping punk rocker might be taking its toll with age, but when the mood is light, Mike and the group are as funny as ever. Prior to a song about the breakup of Iron Maiden ("Bruce, Eddie, and Paul"), complete with dueling guitar harmonies and a pretty bad Bruce Dickinson impersonation, there's an autobiographical account (probably) of first meeting and talking about Jennifer Tilly with either Tegan or Sara (Mike couldn't tell) of Tegan and Sara, before spooking her severely with talk of drugs and sex ("Creeping Out Sara"). As a whole, it's not one of their best records, considering the size of their discography, but it's not a bad little record.

~ Jason Lymangrover, all media guide

"Solid, creative, urgent albums like COASTER cement the fact that whenever someone gets around to opening a Punk Rock Hall Of Fame, NOFX should be in its inaugural class"

Tracklist:

01. We Called It America
02. The Quitter
03. First Call
04. My Orphan Year
05. Blasphemy (The Victimless Crime)
06. Creeping Out Sara
07. Eddie, Bruce, And Paul
08. Best God In Show
09. Suits And Ladders
10. The Agony Of Victory
11. I Am An Alcoholic
12. One Million Coasters

All lyrics written by Mike Burkett, all music composed by NOFX.


Produced by Bill Stevenson, Jason Livermore and Fat Mike
Engineered by Bill Stevenson, Jason Livermore and Jamie McCann
Recorded at Motor Studios, San Francisco, CA
Additional engineering by Andrew Berlin and Felipe Patino
Mixed and Mastered by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, CO

• Fat Mike – vocals, bass, keyboard on tracks "5 and 6"
• Eric Melvin – guitar, vocals
• El Hefe – guitar, vocals, trombone on track "8"
• Erik Sandin – drums

guest musicians:
- Aaron Novik – bass clarinet; trombone on track "11"
- Jason Freese – keyboard on track "8"
- Karina Denike and Spike Slawson – back up vocals on "lots of things"

Release Date: April 28, 2009
Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Catalog No.: FAT737-2