Since reuniting in 2022, Algernon Cadwallader has operated at a much higher level than in their heyday. The beloved Philly punk outfit, once celebrated for unhinged and explosive live shows, are more polished and precise than ever; they’ve begun playing some of the biggest venues of their career, in some cities headlining rooms with a proper sound system for the first time. Such is the case when scrappy DIY musicians grow into seasoned industry veterans, then return to their roots; if all cylinders are firing, the results can far surpass their past work, and for Algernon, it’s very much a best-case scenario.

That extends to the band’s first record in 14 years, released last month on Saddle Creek. You can tell the players took the ensuing years and sharpened their skills in other projects (Peter Helmis in Yankee Bluff, Joe Reinhart in Hop Along, both in Dogs On Acid) as well as behind-the-scenes pursuits (Joe’s work as a producer at Headroom Studios) then brought it back to the band. The record sounds very much like Algernon, but bigger and bolder than ever. And most significantly, this time around, they’ve got a lot to say, as we hear in this performance at WXPN studios.

The record’s title, Trying Not To Have A Thought, refers to the tendency to retreat into oneself rather than confront the tragedies all around us — whether global, national, or personal. Lyrically, Helmis does the exact opposite, tackling everything head-on and unflinchingly: expressing cathartic grief at the death of a friend on “Hawk”; critiquing capitalism, cops, and wealth inequality on “World of Difference”; and on “Attn MOVE,” going on a deep dive into of the most regrettable atrocities in Philadelphia history, when the city dropped a bomb on its own citizens. The lively “noitanitsarcorP” — that’s a mirrored spelling “procrastination” — closes the set by turning the lens inward as Helmis explores creativity and the artistic process (all while hammering away on a single bass string, after his others all snapped).

Watch Algernon Cadwallader’s live session at WXPN above, and see photos from the taping below. The band’s 2025 tour for Trying Not To Have A Thought kicks off November 6th at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, and comes through the Philadelphia region twice in December: Friday the 5th at Allentown’s Archer Music Hall, and Saturday the 13th at Union Transfer. Full dates and more information are available at the band’s website; Trying Not To Have A Thought is available now, via Saddle Creek.

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