Pitchfork

[Posted Friday, October 24th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Jah bless Ted Leo. In a musical age when attitude and style often prevail over substance and talent, when political dissent is often more of a fashion accessory than an earnest and informed moral statement, Leo is the torch-bearer of real-deal political rock. His last full-length LP, Hearts of Oak, found him avoiding pissed-off generalization and inveighing against specific and timely modern foibles, from the demise of authentic ska in a manufactured age on "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" to the prevalence of and impetus for anti-American sentiment abroad on "Ballad of the Sin Eater."

Ace Fu Records, in conjunction with their new distributor, Mordam Records, have reissued Leo's 1999 solo EP, Treble in Trouble, so this semi-rare portion of his back catalog will again be available. Treble in Trouble was the follow-up to Leo's first post-Chisel release, Rx/Pharmacists, and eschewed that album's forays into tape loops and dubby production in favor of more straightforward mod-pop fare. Treble includes rollicking, Jam-influenced political songs like the anti-police brutality opener, "Abner Louima v. Gov. Pete Wilson" and an influence-revealing cover of Thin Lizzy's "Little Girl in Bloom."

The EP features backing help from Brendan Canty (Make*Up, Nation of Ulysses), Amy Farina (The Warmers), and the Secret Stars. Leo has also recently released the mini LP Tell Balgury, Balgury is Dead, which features solo renditions of a couple Hearts of Oak tracks alongside unreleased, demo-ish material. Without further boombaclot, here's the Treble in Trouble tracklist:

01 Abner Louima v. Gov. Pete Wilson
02 Come Baby Come
03 The 11th
04 Treble in Trouble
05 Little Girl in Bloom [Thin Lizzy]