| Alexisonfire Old Crows / Young Cardinals |
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 | Tracklist:
01. Old Crows
02. Young Cardinals
03. Sons of Privilege
04. Born and Raised
05. No Rest
06. The Northern
07. Midnight Regulations
08. Emerald Street
09. Heading for the Sun
10. Accept Crime
11. Burial
Release Date: 06/30/2009 | |
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On 23 Lists
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| Summary: Without peaks and valleys, Old Crows/Young Cardinals is a wash of mid-paced, hook-laden and relatively solid post-post-hardcore. |
For all of the bickering that is sure to accompany Alexisonfire’s latest work, it’s important to note that very little has changed since the relatively well received, relatively well done Crisis. But as with many acts, nostalgia often sparks revisionism and it’s easy to forget Crisis exists when you’re still waiting for the second coming of Watch Out! (which, frankly, doesn't compare to their self-titled anyways). If you’ve gotten this far, you can probably assume that with Old Crows/Young Cardinals that is most definitely not the case.
Like Crisis, Old Crows/Young Cardinals feels tragically like an album that inputs filler around a few standouts, but like Crisis, its standouts are certainly worth noting. The disc’s opening one-two title track punch do their best at implicating the band’s past formula into their glossy new package, with “Old Crows”' shout-y, sing-song-y chorus narrowly missing out on becoming the band’s best yet. “Young Cardinals” is less immediately successful, though for the most part i's a quintessential grower. What holds the album back is, oddly enough, the fact that there's not a completely bad song on it. This holds it back because the album ends up being a hugely complacent (if consistent) sounding album where it holds a relatively steady level of quality from front to back, and the lack of peaks and valleys make it harder to keep your attention. Even with the album's supposed lows come contrasted highs. Take the dualistically awful-slash-awesome “Accept Crime”, a track whose tacky attempts at 'remember me, quote me' lyrical slogalism (we will be free, to use our bodies as we please/there’s no police between two beating hearts) threaten to ruin its otherwise energetic, raucous pace. Even at its worst the album's lows find themselves wedged throughout otherwise good songs. “The Northern”, the album’s zealously organ peppered and surprisingly groovy stand-out, might be the best song on the album, but the separation between it and the sleep-inducing (and also organ-clad) “Burial” is relatively minimal.
The more things change, the more they stay the same; though George’s voice is trashed, Wade’s fingers tired, Dallas still sounds far better than he’ll ever replicate live and Chris is still irrelevant. Old Crows/Young Cardinals may solidify the band’s transition into a more straight-laced rock band, but it does so by representing the contrast that made waves on MuchMusic and The Edge years ago. While it may not be as pronounced or explicit, Alexisonfire’s ability to dynamically blend harsher tones with sugar-sweet melodies has flipped from their inception; like Rise Against, Alexisonfire are another solid rock band rising from the ashes of a dead scene to dominate (and perhaps legitimize) the airwaves. And let’s face it, give the choice between this or Nickelback, Old Crows/Young Cardinals is far better than the average concession. Its faults are minimal, though its highs are somewhat indistinguishable. In the end, you're left with a wash of mid-paced, hook-laden and relatively solid post-post-hardcore.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3.5
This took a while, sorry. The long and short of it is I wrote a review that is 99% this one at 4am about four or five days ago when I was suffering from insomnia. Then I got really busy. Then today I decided to make a few tweaks and post it. Interesting, I know.
Digging: Old Man Luedecke - My Hands Are On Fire & Other Love Songs | | |
I've been suffering from insomnia for the past 2 weeks, it sucks. Amazing review though, Coke. I'm liking this more than Crisis, although I've only heard it twice now.
Digging: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
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Nice review. As a casual fan it sounds like I owe this one a listen.
Digging: Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
it’s easy to forget Crisis exists when you’re still waiting for the second coming of Watch Out!
I'm not biased, I swear. Good review, didn't mention Jordan Hastings though...
Digging: Children of Nova - The Complexity of Light | | | Album Rating: 3.5
That's because he's irrelevant (moreso than Chris). I didn't even know they changed drummers after Watch Out!, so what does that tell you?
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Pretty good review.
Digging: The National - Boxer
| | | Album Rating: 3
i dunno this album is alright
Digging: Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise | | | Album Rating: 3.5
I didn't even know they changed drummers after Watch Out!, so what does that tell you?
That you're not a drummer?
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
but 99% of people in the world aren't drummers so
Digging: Eminem - Recovery | | | Album Rating: 3.5
wrong answer waior try again
| | | Album Rating: 3
tells u the drumming SUX
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
i didn't know bands still used drummers
Digging: Titus Andronicus - The Monitor | | | Album Rating: 3.5
nah that it just isn't important
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r u a drummer?
Digging: Smog - A River Ain't Too Much Too Love
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according to john hanson over sixty million people in the world are drummers
Digging: Dystopia - Human = Garbage
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14% of those drummers would be homosexual
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the vocals don't vibe with me do you know what i'm saying?
Digging: The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I'm picking up the signals you're putting down, brother.
And drums are for drummers.
Digging: letlive - Fake History | | | Album Rating: 4
didn't they write "keep it on wax" about their old drummer?
Digging: Team Teamwork - The Ocarina of Rhyme | | | Album Rating: 3.5
I don't know, the drumming kept me interested in this record; perhaps the sixty million drummers in the world (ha!) can vindicate me on that?
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