(Young) Pioneers added parentheses to their name and bassist Marty Violence to their lineup as they went electric on First Virginia Volunteers. Much-improved electrified versions of three songs from Young Pioneers ("Food Stamps" and "White Like Me" are particularly good) join such excellent new originals as "Evidence Indicating Other Than Suicide," "The Whereabouts of Johnny Gosh" and the oddly upbeat "I'm So Afraid of Getting Cancer." The Pioneers are at their best when framing political discontent with catchy punk and emo, but they do dip into some ill-advised waters here. They're poorly suited to the clumsy heavy metal vibe on "Murder Has No Tongue," and "Red Tick Coonhound" should have been left to rot on the debut EP. Overall, however, First Virginia Volunteers shows a lot of creative development.
Tracklist:
1. Food Stamps
2. White Like Me
3. Battlefield National Park
4. Older & Poorer
5. Murder Has No Tongue
6. Raid on Kensington Avenue
7. ("____")
8. Right to Remain Silent
9. Whereabouts of Johnny Gosh
10. I'm So Afraid of Getting Cancer
11. Evidence Indicating Other Than Suicide
12. Red Tick Coonhound
13. Brazen Hell
14. Joy Kills Sorrow
15. Take the Fifth
16. Day of the Wolves
17. Now I Feel Much Safer
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