Civil War (album) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Critical response to Civil War was generally positive. Online retailer Interpunk.com called the album "worth every second of the interminable wait. From the opening note of the first track it's blatantly apparent that the guys in D4 haven’t lost a step". Reviewer Jason Lymangrover of Allmusic commented that the album " strong to their melodic punk roots, but a new, more mature side of the band. The fiery pep is still intact here, but the carefree days of 'He's a Shithead (Yeah, Yeah)' have been replaced with thoughtful lyrics dealing with social injustices...it's their most glossy, most consistent, most calm, and surprisingly, their most socially relevant album, despite their approach toward middle age on a teen-oriented punk playground." Chris Fallon of Absolutepunk.net also praised the album, calling it "a new stitch in a damaged American flag; it's the healthy new dose of oxygen we are severely in need of in a crippled music industry starved of substance." He particularly praised the band's songwriting and use of melody, stating that "The record is audibly more melodic than previous releases, with a focus on pop-infused choruses and hooks, all while still containing that raw focal point the band has continually reached for on past albums." Maximum Rocknroll magazine coordinator Justin Briggs wrote in the December 2008 issue, " While nothing they ever do will knock Midwestern Songs of the Americas from the position of 'DILLINGER FOUR's best album,' which is an impossible feat among impossibilities in itself, Civil War has tracks that I'd definitely put on a 'Best of DILLINGER FOUR' mixtape - quite a few, actually. Just f**king buy it already."

Not all reviewers praised the album, however. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press gave it three out of five stars, noting that the band's extended period of inactivity did not allow them to test the new songs in front of an audience, and thus "the band's fourth proper full-length isn't the New Testament of beard-punk that so many Fest attendees want it to be." He also remarked that their hiatus had distanced them from contemporary punk, and thus Civil War sounds dated and "lacks bite and innovation." Heisel also felt that it did not measure up to the promise of the band's earlier work, stating that "While the album has bright spots, overall it feels a bit dull and without the spark that made 1998's Midwestern Songs of the Americas so fresh and exciting. With the albatross around their neck finally loosened, Dillinger Four have the talent to return with another truly great, defining punk album–hopefully it'll be before 2014." Kyle Ryan of The A.V. Club remarked that the album was "mostly interchangeable with its predecessors, right down to the silly samples that bookend the songs" and that "after six long years, it would've been nice for Dillinger Four to deliver something beyond more of the same". He did note, however, that the band's pop tendencies were more prominent than on previous releases, and that Funk's vocals were clearer, citing "Contemplate This on the Tree of Woe" and "Americaspremierefaithbasedinitiative" as strong tracks and saying that "Fruity Pebbles" "may be D4's most accessible song yet".