Album Reviews

‘You’re Welcome’ is the first and hopefully last full-length by Cokie The Clown, Fat Mike’s alter ego that first made an appearance on NOFX’ 2009 EP carrying the same name.

Recorded over the course of almost a year with the help of Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle), Blink 182’s Travis Barker and even Guns N’ Roses’ Dizzy Reed, the ten songs that make up this album offer a glimpse into the darkness that Mike carries around with him, regrets, fears and bad puns fully exposed. Musically, this is a far cry from the ground that NOFX usually covers, consisting mostly of little more than Mike’s vocals and piano or a subtle string arrangement.

It all makes ‘You’re Welcome’ a very difficult album to listen to. Just like the video below is difficult to watch. Not only because of the lyrics, but also because of Mike’s vocals. Granted, he’s never been the most talented singer around but when you remove the distorted guitars, he is really taking grating to a whole new level.

Kudos to Mike though for being this candid and honest about something that a lot of us struggle with and can relate to. I just can’t really tell whether this is some weird kind of performance art or a genuine cry for help. If it’s the first, let’s hope he got it out of his system so that it can go the way of his musical. If it’s the second, I hope he finds a good therapist fast.

Track listing:

1. Bathtub
2. Fair Leather Friends
3. The Queen Is Dead
4. Swing and a Miss
5. Down with the Ship
6. Negative Reel
7. That Time I Killed My Mom
8. Fuck You All
9. Pre Arraigned Marriage
10. Punk Rock Saved My Life