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Dag Nasty
MINORITY OF ONE
(REVELATION)

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Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker has enjoyed a long career as the consummate punk sideman that goes all the way back to his days as the bassist of Minor Threat. But he’s also left an impressive mark of his own with Dag Nasty, whose 1986 debut, Can I Say (Dischord), is a DC hardcore classic. The line-up from that album is back together for the first time in 10 years on Minority of One, a sharp pop-punk effort that justifies and builds on the band’s reputation as one of the forefathers of emo. Baker brings his trademark melodic flash to the full-speed opener, "Ghosts," which makes liberal use of lush Bad Religion–style vocal harmonies. Singer Dave Smalley, who cut his teeth in the seminal Boston hardcore band DYS and currently fronts Down by Law, doesn’t yell as much as he used to, but he still excels at making politics sound personal. The anti-authoritarian title track provides a dark-hued outlet for his anger; "Average Man" is a defiant rant against growing up and selling out set to the disc’s raunchiest guitar riff. As punk reunion albums go, this one’s an unqualified success, right down to the humorous unlisted cover of Generation X’s "One Hundred Punks" at the end.

BY SEAN RICHARDSON

Issue Date: October 31- November 7, 2002
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