In 2006, Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Embrace, etc.) began focusing his energy on the Evens, a duo with former Warmers drummer Amy Farina. Their third record proves that even the most militant punk songs are often best served by a stripped-down aesthetic. MacKaye has always worked with that sort of ethos, but the Evens are radically minimal — lone baritone guitar and punchy drums bring clarity to fiery post-post-punk minimums and maximums. The most addictive track is "King of Kings," a huge sing-a-long anthem. Another compelling moment comes with "Wanted Criminals," a song framing the fucked-up realities of the prison industrial complex in the context of the recession. "Need a job, need a job. . . . What if every single person was a deputy?" asks MacKaye. "Jails in search of prisoners/Jails in search of prisoners," he continues. It's a haunting, complex look at economic injustice.
