Although unsuccessful, a man strives to save a relationship (“Ending in Tragedy”). The singer warns restless people to make wise choices (“Your Biggest Mistake,” “Failure’s Not Flattering”). “I Don’t Wanna Know” recalls the first meeting between intimates and how that love matured. Media messages fixate on the negative, sell conformity and discourage original thought according to “No News Is Good News” (“Other people’s misery for the next three hours … Nothing will change but the channel/So I turn it off/I see billboards on the horizon/What to wear, what to drink … It’s so easy not to think for yourself”).
While not morally problematic, “This Disaster,” “Ending in Tragedy” and “It’s All Downhill From Here” are odes to doomed relationships as pessimistic as their titles. The “Intro” includes the f-word. A lesser profanity mars “Your Biggest Mistake.” In the liner notes, artwork shows boys choking each other, and one member’s thank-yous turn nasty.
The strong obscenity at the outset is the biggest spoiler on Catalyst. As punk bands go, these five guys from Coral Springs, Fla., resist the extremes of the genre and even have level-headed advice for people tempted to make foolish decisions.
