No matter how you slice it, there’s no band like NOFX. They’ve led a generation of punks to water, turned it into wine — okay, beer — and are worshiped like gods, not that they believe in any. And on “Coaster,” the band’s 11th studio album, they’re still doing what they always have, thumbing their nose at religion and sobriety while pounding out Gershwin melodies at a million miles an hour.

If the band’s lyrics weren’t so clever and their chord progressions not so sophisticated, we probably wouldn’t tolerate such behavior. Much of “Coaster” focuses on the same topics NOFX has been covering for years — drinking, drugs, religion, lesbianism — but each time out they manage to put a new spin on things, find some clever new wordplay, a slight inversion on a classic theme. Take “Eddie, Bruce and Paul,” which tells the story of Iron Maiden’s frontmen as a gay love triangle. “Paul got fucked, fucked by Steve,” Fat Mike sings about the band’s decidedly punk original singer. “Eddie’s at the Red Lion looking for a new steed. Searching for a beau,” he continues, “Who sings in falsetto.” There’s “Creeping Out Sara,” which details a hilarious encounter with Sara, “or maybe it was Tegan,” Mike wonders, not exactly sure which member of the lesbian duo Tegan and Sara he met at a German festival and asked about her lesbian tendencies, group sex proclivities and cocaine availability. But what did you expect?

With a black Democrat in the White House, there are fewer political rants, but still plenty of targets. The band takes on religion (”Blasphemy,” “Best God in Show”), bloated corporate executives (”Suits and Ladders”) and people who don’t like partying (”The Quitter,” “First Call”). There’s even a rare moment of sincerity, as Fat Mike acknowledges in the lyrics to “My Orphan Year,” a painful look at the death of his parents and growing up in a divorced household.

Like most of the NOFX records from the past decade, there’s also a lot of boasting. It’s sort of the punk rock equivalent to the bravado 1990s rappers showcased on their albums, though instead of cars, guns and hos, it’s drinking, popping pills and not being gainfully employed. “We’ve got no competition / We’ve got no accomplished mission,” Mike brags on “The Agony of Victory,” before adding, “Of course we’ll take anything you wanna give, so fucking give.” Both sentiments are true, but maybe not what every cynical punk wants to hear. And maybe not relevant to most of the band’s audience who likely don’t have the luxury of not working or staying up all night drinking.

Regardless, “Coaster” is a solid record. It isn’t a classic, but it doesn’t suck either. And it boasts several future anthems, which I’m sure the band will happily brag about on their next record. If they’re not too drunk to remember.

NOFX – “First Call”
NOFX – “Creeping Out Sara”

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