The Ex, Catch My Shoe (side A)

2011's Catch My Shoe is a surprising departure for the Ex for many reasons.  Founding singer Jos has left and been replaced with Arnold from Zea, and the group is now a quartet with no bassist.  The resulting album is the lightest and most fun Ex record since their earliest, chaotic punk rock days.  The lyrics are still rich in messaging (except, perhaps, the ones in Ethiopian—I can't tell), but they're less blunt and more open-ended than Jos's overtly didactic tendencies.  The music has lost much of its darkness without abandoning its sheer intensity.  The drums are quieter than they were on the last few records, too, which is a relief, and gives the guitars more room to breathe.  The cover still looks like an old-school punk rock record, and I wouldn't hope for anything else from one of the last great first-generation punk bands standing.