Fugazi Argument CD

1st Studio Rel.Since 1998

Fugazi: Ian MacKaye, Guy Picciotto (vocals, guitar); Joe Lally (vocals, bass); Brendan Canty (drums).
Additional personnel: Amy Domingues (cello); Jerry Busher (drums, percussion); Bridget Cross, Kathi Wilcox (background vocals).
Recorded in January & February 2001.
Personnel: Guy Picciotto, Ian MacKaye (vocals, guitar); Joe Lally (vocals); Amy Domingues (cello); Jerry Busher (drums, percussion); Brendan Canty (drums); Kathi Wilcox, Bridget Cross (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Don Zientara; Fugazi.
Recording information: Dischord House (01/2001-02/2001); Inner Car Studios (01/2001-02/2001).
Photographers: David Bryant ; Steven Skovensky; Jem Cohen.
It's unfortunate that a band so forward looking as Fugazi has been criticized over and over for not remaking "Waiting Room" or "Repeater." Some have called them sellouts, regardless of the band's integrity and class, while others consider them elitists, "guiding" the Washington, D.C., scene. This could not be further from the truth. As the film and soundtrack to Instrument proved, this is a band that is only concerned with musical growth, with each album improving on its predecessor. But no album they have put together has the jump ahead that The Argument has. Being both ear-shattering and spine-tingling at once, this is Fugazi at their "musical" best. Incorporating melody with texture and their signature angular approach, the band has raised the bar for themselves and others once again. The first "full" track, "Cashout" (an anti-gentrification anthem), is classic stuff, with a subtle guitar line exploding into a screaming chorus, but this time there is less of an emphasis on the screaming and more on the gentle melody of the verse. Slower tracks like "The Kill" and "Life and Limb" touch on strange new territory. Gentle with sense of swagger, these songs lack none of the power that the band is known for, while the two-drum assault of "Ex-Spectator" (courtesy of Brendan Canty and second drummer Jerry Busher) has just as much potency on disc as it does live. And the final song, "Argument," with its rolling guitar lines, dreamy breakdown, and vocals that build from gentle to screaming, may be the best closer on a Fugazi record since "Promises." Listeners may be surprised to hear strings open up the record, or piano guiding the brilliant "Strangelight," but this is the album that proves once and for all that Fugazi has become a purely musical force.
Fifteen years in and Fugazi is still progressing. It makes one wonder what they're capable of in the future. ~ Chris True
Possessing few peers in the world of fiery, angular, angry indie-rock, D.C. icon Fugazi holds an unassailable place at or near the top of the DIY aesthetic. THE ARGUMENT, their eighth full-length release, still exhibits the unpredictability of form, jagged edges and impassioned, potent lyrics that carried them through the '90s. However, with its underlying melodic hooks, it hearkens back more to early-'80s art punks like Mission Of Burma or The Fall. On tracks like "Full Disclosure" the sound looks even further back, sounding practically glam.
Despite the element of retrograde, the sound on THE ARGUMENT remains undeniably Fugazi's own, organic and compelling. There is certainly the occasional track, most notably "Ex-Spectator," that would fit seamlessly on MARGIN WALKER or REPEATER, and tracks such as the defiant "Cashout" and "Epic Problem" rant and rage with requisite fury. On the other end of the spectrum is the title track, unadulterated indie-pop practically out of the songbook of a band like Sloan.

Rolling Stone (12/13/01, p.152) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A bracing corrective to the misconceptions of punk's original intent..."
Spin (1/02, pp.107-8) - 9 out of 10 - "...Their formal fidgeting and steadfast belief in defiance and difference produce a new kind of punk alchemy. Again."
Entertainment Weekly (11/9/01, p.110) - "...Raw and affecting..." - Rating: B
Q (12/01, p.135) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...This has renewed sparkle, raiding indie-pop territory with harmonies, hand-claps and even the odd acoustic guitar..."
Uncut (12/01, p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...THE ARGUMENT showcases a band of uncommon power grappling with subtler shades as well as their quiet/loud, dub-influenced trademark sound. What's more, they've never sounded more potent..."
Alternative Press (2/02, p.65) - Ranked #19 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001".
Alternative Press (12/01, p.82) - 8 out of 10 - "...Fugazi's sound has never been static...Lyrically, they are still making th epersonal political, battling globalization, ignorance and greed at the human level..."
Magnet (12-1/02, p.87) - "...Timelier than ever..."
Mojo (Publisher) (11/01, p.98) - "...Exploring the limits of boith their voices and guitars...Fugazi still have plenty of new tricks to teach the young pups of today's scene."
NME (Magazine) (12/29/01, p.59) - Ranked #19 in NME's 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001".
NME (Magazine) (10/6/01, p.42) - 8 out of 10 - "...It's the sound of an inspirational band, renewed, at play."