When an album I am really interested in is about to come out, I will avoid reading reviews etc... in order to assure that my impressions of the album will not be tainted one way or the other by the opinions of other individuals. Not that there was much press about Fugazi's The Argument beforehand I avoided it anyway. Well I can safely say after 4 listens, that the album blows my mind. The album is a giant progression from End Hits. I can honestly say that I like almost everything that the band has ever released, and I think that this is some of their best work. The incorporation of cello, piano, female backing vocals etc... is a very large step in the band's evolution. Since 1987 they have truly evolved into something considerably larger and more complex than a "Hard-Core Band". In the past Fugazi's music could often be described as disjointed, even atonal. The music would build to a crescendo and then back off and go someplace else entirely. Though I always have enjoyed this aspect of their music, I occassionally listened to past Fugazi albums and wondered what it would sound like if the songs went exactly where your ear was telling you it should go next. Well, there are many points on this album where the music does just that. The progressions are dare I say, catchy. This is the first Fugazi album I have ever heard that can be described as catchy. I know that Red Medicine is "catchy", but The Argument has many parts on it that are truly catchy (not just catchy for a Fugazi record), almost pop oriented at times. Perhaps Ian Mackye's Beatles obsession is finally factoring in. Needless to say, The Argument is an outstanding record. Recommended for fans as well as people who found their past efforts difficult to digest.