This Is Our Jam: The Evens, “Warble Factory”

“Aging gracefully” and “punk rock” are two phrases you don’t often hear in the same sentence. The legacy of punk singers who live past their 20s usually goes one of two ways: A) They keep playing their old songs like they aren’t wrinkly old dudes (See: Bad Religion, The Descendants, Iggy Pop) or B) They turn into insufferable a-holes and alienate even their most devout fans (See: Danzig, Henry Rollins). The largest exception to this rule is former Fugazi/Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, whose band The Evens spent the 2000s quietly releasing two fantastic records.

Made up of MacKaye on guitar and his girlfriend Amy Farina (formerly of The Warmers) on drums, The Evens' sound is something of a lower-key, more melodic version of their previous post-hardcore efforts. “Warble Factor,” The Evens' first single in five years, finds the duo starting just where they left off with 2006’s Get Evens. In just two minutes and thirty-two seconds, MacKaye and Farina harmonize over a slow, heavy riff that epitomizes Discord, the label MacKaye founded. It’s not the sound of punks trying to stay relevant, but of a band continuing to do what they do best. “Warble Factor” is a spotlight on two musicians who are perfectly comfortable with themselves and with their music. I can’t think of a better way to age gracefully.