Remarkably inconsistent throughout his punk rock career, loudmouth
Ben Weasel has put out some classic records with his band,
Screeching Weasel, like the
Punkhouse EP and
Bark Like a Dog. There have also been quite a few duds, such as
Emo and almost everything released by his
Ramones-inspired side project,
the Riverdales. His first solo album,
Fidatevi, is a bit more personal and soul-searching than most of
Screeching Weasel's records. But
Weasel is best when he's sarcastic and spiteful. He's written some fine songs about girls and is good when attacking various punk rock subjects. But hearing him write serious songs about his emotions and the like can be a chore. A few songs connect on
Fidatevi, at least musically, like "Imperfect World," "Responsibility," and "Take Action," with nice harmonies and scrappy, simple guitar parts. But much of the material is clunky, like "The Rays of the Sun," which is also one of the hokiest songs
Weasel has ever written, and "The Ship," where his usual charming sneer of a voice is grating. Other tunes are just dull or uninspired, like late-period
Ramones. One real problem is that there isn't one standout song on
Fidatevi, and usually even the worst
Screeching Weasel record has at least one great song. So, file this under one of his bigger duds.