Various Artists

Mild in the Streets (2016)

Daniel James

Fat Wreck Chords' Mild in the Streets is a compilation of Fat bands doing acoustic songs, making a hybrid of Live Fat comps of old, Punk Goes Acoustic and the riffed title of the Circle Jerks classic. The mixture of acoustics and songs with social commentary on class division lend it the feel of a mix of songs by folk agitators in the Depression, which is fitting in our troubled times.

The compilation starts with a song "Under the Garden" by the late great Tony Sly and is about trying to pretend society still works while problems overrun things. Other highlights include "We're Not in Love Anymore" by Joey Cape about surviving a late night break up; an acoustic cover of "Continental" off Good Mourning by Matt Skiba; "Hurtlin'" by gritty ballad weavers American Steel; "Care of Me" by Morning Glory, a song about being sick and broken down and needing someone to help you through withdrawal; "A Trillion Dollars" by Anti-Flag about the corruption of the military industrial complex and bling; and a symphonic instrumental version of NOFX masterpiece The Decline by Baz and His Orchestra.

The acoustic symphony of "The Decline" is probably the best part. It doesn't have the lyrics, but its recorded so it sounds like it could be a film soundtrack. It has xylophones during the "Church and NRA" part.

If you want to hear your favorite punk bands playing acoustic light versions of their work like the Circle Jerks lounge act in Repo Man I guess they named this after, check it out.