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As far as punk albums go, Strike Anywhere’s To Live In Discontent is slightly above-standard stuff, with chants of “Oi!” adorning its anti-capitalist lyrics and buzzsaw rock. True to its title, the album is contradictory in nature, advocating self-sufficiency in the face of societal oppression. “In this world you must say no,” shouts Thomas Barnett on “Earthbound,” “In the eyes/In the heart/In the mind/Freedom starts.” On “Cassandratic Equation,” he chants a “dream” about the Seattle protests: “So we go into the Underground/America, 1999/It could be any year, anywhere.” Strike Anywhere is hopelessly optimistic, and one wishes there were a little more realpolitik in its politics. But its songs are undeniably hooky, and its message is too appealing to ignore.
