In an effort to fall back into some sort of operating rhythm, it seems strangely important to drop a new review on “New Music Monday.” It’s been a few months since I’ve given my unbiased view of some new music. So we’re back in the saddle again. And coincidentally, one of my most anticipated albums for 2011 was released in January.

Where does this leave me for the rest of the year if this was my most anticipated? Who knows?

Two words. Social Distortion. An American idol when it comes to my-train-wreck-life-as-a-failure punk rock. Like their label mates, Bad Religion, Social D has been around 30 years and released its share of albums developing a cult following. But unlike the melodic hardcore harmonies and politically motivated songs of Bad Religion, Social D takes more of the inner-focused life-is-the-school-of-hard-knocks and it ain’t getting no better approach.


Social D hasn’t released a studio album since 2004. So waiting for the new album, “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes,” was difficult. It was seven years in the making and each track has been meticulously crafted into vintage Social Distortion. Now if you’re an old school Social D fan, you may somewhat surprised by the music and lyrics. If you are new to the following, you will be initiated with a truly classic record by one of the greatest punk acts to emerge from Orange County.

Hardcore Social D fans do not worry. The sound is authentic but there’s a new wrinkle of exploration outside of the heavy bass laden anthems of the past. This go round, Mike Ness and his peeps have channeled a new level of inspiration. “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” is punk meets the blues meets gospel. It’s a unique blend. And not the angry aggressive punk most are accustomed to. Social D is punk but about durability and longevity. You can feel all of that here on this record.

The lyrics are less dark than previous Social D records. There’s a unique upbeat classic bluesy feel here all the way down to some female background vocals on tracks. If you thought Ness was getting soft, was grizzled beyond repair and out of fucks to give, think again, compadre. "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes" was worth a seven-year wait, and the songs speak loudly enough for Social Distortion’s entire discography.

On to a cross section of the album’s sweet content:

California (Hustle and Flow) – This is probably the most uncharacteristic tune on the record. It’s dripping with the blues like syrup off a waffle at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Blues chords and big girl background vocalists line this song. ‘Life gets hard and then it gets good, like I always knew it would.’ A strange upbeat lyric from the once-downer-woe-is-me Ness. The sound is something like that of the Black Crowes being soulfully southern goodness sprinkling in a little George Thorogood.

Bakersfield – This is a slow burner which echoes the tender sentiment of wanting to go to the way things were in a relationship. Trapped in Bakersfield, we get the opportunity to sympathize with an old road warrior reflecting on what went wrong. But with the challenges, he’s on his way home in hopes that they can relight that old flame. You can almost smell the cigarette smoke and taste the whiskey in the glass as our protagonist reflects.

Writing on the Wall – Sweet crunchy guitar strumming lead you in to the somber and disappointed Ness pining away about a failing relationship. While listening, you feel like you could be easily sitting in an old run down hotel in the American southwest. On the edge of the bed staring into the old crack mirror behind the TV, you can envision Ness, or us, replaying the train wreck of our relationships. Incredibly personal, we hear exactly how we felt in our own failures. Retrospect, not admitting it was over, and loneliness. We’ve all been there. It’s a song of unexpected regret. And while the content is not new, the musicality of the song with the piano is.

Still Alive – While many of the songs on “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” explore a mixture of sounds and more enlightening lyrics, this song is the closer for the album and harkens back to some of the old classic of Social D. This song is this album’s “Ball and Chain.” The driving guitar and urgently delivered lyrics of surviving no matter what despair is in your way is right here. Ness has seen it all but is still alive. The songs rips and you find yourself getting a pep talk about perseverance and resiliency.

Generation X. We’re a jumbled mess of kids trying to be adults and parents these days. And while I can’t speak for an entire diverse generation of souls trying to find their way in a dysfunctional world, I can speak for the small subset of my generation who has looked for a voice that shared our collective cry. Mike Ness is akin to our Johnny Cash. OK, that may be a little extreme. But for the small subset of Generation X that I represent, Ness has been our storyteller channeling our “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” for the 30 years. This is Johnny Cash meets the Clash.

“Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” is uncharacteristically characteristic Social Distortion. Ness and his boys could have easily packed it in and accepted the patriarchal position in punk’s hall of honor; they reveal a willingness to push the comfort zone working with different harmonies, slower tempos, and upbeat concepts. As always, Mike Ness is undeniably ‘here to make a stand with a guitar in his hand.’