Good Riddance

***For more than 25 years, GOOD RIDDANCE has written tuneful punk anthems that take on injustice in all forms. That spirit drove classic albums like For God and Country, A Comprehensive Guide to Moderne Rebellion, and Ballads from the Revolution, and it carries through to the brand new album Thoughts and Prayers—the band’s second album since reforming in 2012. As a voice of resistance through four presidential administrations, Good Riddance seems well-suited for these fraught times—but don’t expect a bunch of obvious anti-45 screeds. Though the anxiety and anger of the day is palpable on Thoughts and Prayers, a title taken from the inane platitudes spouted by politicians after mass shootings. “Our Great Divide” reflects the unprecedented polarization of American society over a classic three-chord progression and breakneck beat. “No King but Caesar” warily eyes the destructiveness of complacency, and the dire warning of “Pox Americana” would be too much to bear without its vocal harmonies and soaring guitar. But Thoughts and Prayers isn’t without light. Opener “Edmund Pettus Bridge” imagines “one billion hearts entwined in revolution,” and “Wish You Well” boasts one of the catchiest choruses of the band's long discography.