“White Crosses,” the latest offering from Florida punk quartet Against Me!, finds singer Tom Gabel on the cusp of turning 30, exploring the awkward and sometimes painful in-between of his youthful punk roots and more moderate (though not politically so) adulthood.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the first single, “I Was a Teenage Anarchist.” Gabel muses, “Do you remember / When you were young and wanted to set the world on fire? / I was a teenage anarchist, but the politics were too convenient.”

Like their major label debut, 2007′s “New Wave,” “White Crosses” (out June 8 ) features anthemic, power chord-driven sing-alongs delivered with a healthy dose of attitude. The tightly-wound record clocks in at just over 35 minutes, and once again at the helm is veteran producer Butch Vig, whose fingerprints are all over the densely mixed 10-song collection. The recent addition of The Hold Steady’s Franz Nicolay as a touring member of the band should flesh out the tunes nicely on their tour dates this summer. And George Rebelo, formerly of Hot Water Music, proves himself to be a worthy substitute for longtime drummer Warren Oakes, who left the band about a year ago under less than amicable conditions.

Gabel may have relocated with his wife and infant daughter from the Florida college town music scene of Gainesville to the sleepy beach town of St. Augustine, but it’s clear that his political punk roots haven’t been completely overshadowed by his recent domestication. The album’s title, he’s said, was inspired by the “Cemetery of the Innocents,” a memorial to aborted fetuses, which the singer passed every day while writing the album in St. Augustine, Florida. In the corresponding song, he sneers, “White crosses on the church lawn / I wanna smash them all.”

But, perhaps owing to the regime change between their previous records and this one, some of the political posturing on “White Crosses” feels anachronistic. While earlier releases deftly skewered political figures like Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush, Gabel now resorts to name-checking … Robert McNamara?

The strongest songs on “White Crosses” come when Gabel adopts a more reflective, older-and-wiser tone, as on standout track “Because of the Shame,” set at the funeral of, presumably, an ex-girlfriend.

On the country-tinged (yes, you read that right) “Ache With Me,” he wonders, “Do you share the same sense of defeat? / Have you realized all the things you’ll never be? / Ideals turn to resentment / Open minds close up with cynicism.” By the song’s conclusion, he’s acquiesced to the notion that “You may not find all that you’re after / In the end, I hope it doesn’t matter.”

While some songs, like “Rapid Decompression,” feel passionate yet formulaic, others, like album closer “Bamboo Bones,” find the band branching out in new directions both lyrically and musically. The album ends with Gabel, his identity crisis seemingly resolved or at least dismissed, looking toward the future rather than the past, sounding almost hopeful as he repeats, “What God doesn’t give to you / You’ve got to go and get for yourself.”

Against Me! is on tour with Silversun Pickups. For Blast readers, they play Orlando at Hard Rock Cafe on June 15 and Brooklyn, at Williamsburg Waterfront on June 25.

Amidst all the political bickering that’s surrounded the 2008 presidential election, there’s one thing that campaign officials, pundits, and political leaders alike can agree on “" that the “youth vote” will undoubtedly play a crucial, perhaps unprecedented, role in determining which candidate emerges victorious.

For the past five national elections, Rock the Vote, a non-profit organization founded in Los Angeles in 1990, has partnered with musicians and actors to inspire young people to take an active role in politics.

Among the artists supporting the 2008 Rock the Vote campaign (the list includes Madonna, Good Charlotte and Tim McGraw) is Florida punk outfit Against Me! Known for their politically-charged material (see: “From Her Lips to God’s Ears” an anthemic skewering of Condoleezza Rice), the band partnered with Rock the Vote in April to film a video for their single “Stop!” from their latest record, “New Wave.”

Singer Tom Gabel recently took some time out from touring to offer his thoughts on the impending election and Against Me!’s participation in the Rock the Vote campaign.

BLAST: What prompted you to make your Rock the Vote video?

TOM GABEL: We were approached by Rock The Vote about working with them as they were interested in using the song for their campaign. At first I was hesitant because the song isn’t really a political song, but after talking with (them) about it, I saw that the chorus did really work well for their cause. It’s important to me to be involved in this election. If shooting a PSA is a potential way we can motivate young people to vote, then I’m up for trying.

B: Which candidate are you supporting in the election and why?

TG: Barack Obama for sure. I’m certainly not a Republican, but I’m also not a Democrat. I think that Obama would be a breath of fresh air for the country and would change the rest of the world’s views towards us in a positive way. I think Obama is a very intelligent individual; I think he “gets it.” Whether or not that means he’ll be able to change anything, I don’t know. I believe he’ll try though.

I do believe that McCain can change things as well, but in a completely negative direction. Read McCain’s book, listen to him talk about how excited he was as a young man to start flying combat missions in Vietnam, “Ëœcause that’s what he was “trained” to do. He comes from a family with a long history of military service; war is bred into him. You’re fooling yourself if you think he wouldn’t be just as excited to sit in the Oval Office with the power of the big red button under his finger. He wants to command.

B: Why is it important for people of any age to vote, and to keep up with politics in general?

TG: Well, I think it’s important to be an educated person. I think it’s important to realize the effect your actions have on your immediate surroundings and on the world in general. It’s important to know how completely connected we all are. Politics are an extension of that. The people (we) elect into office have a very direct effect on our lives. Don’t you think it’s important to be aware of how other people affect your life? Don’t you think it’s important to have some kind of say in the decisions being made? It’s your world too.

B: What is the most important issue for you in this year’s election and why?

TG: I don’t think I can choose just one. The environment, the war in Iraq, America’s foreign policy in general, education, health care, women’s reproductive rights, marriage rights, etc. All the issues are equally important.

B: Why do you think so many Americans are disillusioned with politics?

TG: Because most politicians are fucking liars. The system is corrupt. It’s hard to actually effect change because of these factors. Most Americans are too busy worrying about how to pay their rent.

B: Does politics have a role in music? If so, what is that role?

TG: Everything is political. You don’t have to sing about politics to be politically involved. You could be a band that gets up on stage every night and sings exclusively love songs and still be the most political band in the world. At the same time you could be a band that gets up on stage every night and shouts their heads off about “Revolution” this or that, and have it mean nothing politically. Words and actions are two different things. How does a band treat their fans? What kind of shirts do they print their shirts on? Do the companies have fair labor policies? Are they environmentally aware? How do they treat their employees? What about on a personal level? Where do they shop? What companies do they support? There’s a million different angles.
I don’t think artists have a responsibility to sing about political topics. But I do think that people in bands have just as much responsibility as anyone else to be aware of the effect their actions have on the world around them.

For more information, visit www.rockthevote.com or www.myspace.com/againstme.