Alexisonfire / Old Crows/Young Cardinals / Dine Alone Records
Something’s missing. One listen to the post-hardcore band’s fourth record can undeniably make one wonder why they’re not drawn into an abyss of pleasure and content. Old Crows/Young Cardinals isn’t an album that deserves to be burned mercilessly, but it isn’t one that should be wrapped in gold and showered with diamonds either. Despite seeming a bit mainstream at times (“Young Cardinals”), the record displays some of their best guitar work yet (“Born and Raised”, “No Rest”). But what doesn’t support it is the raw and youthful arrangements that has defined them in the past. Old Crows/Young Cardinals may be a testament about how Alexisonfire has matured, but it’s missing a valuable passage that was once in the middle. That’s the dangerous and compelling vulture we’re all used to.
Download: “Born and Raised”, “Old Crows”
The Dear Hunter / Act III: Life and Death / Triple Crown Records
Concept albums are a mountain most musicians don’t dare to climb. But for The Dear Hunter, it’s a feat they’ll do again and again. Act III: Life and Death is a bittersweet rock opera that uses earnest vocals and outstanding melodies to captivate audiences across multiple genres. Listeners may not be intrigued to the fullest extent, but it will draw up a curious feeling that will have them wanting to hear more. Similar in a sense to the sounds created by Gatsby’s American Dream and Forgive Durden, the release is innocent, intimate and bold. Three definitive aspects which make it a record that must be listened to and turned into a visual spectacle by some creative playwright.
Download: “The Tank”, “The Poison Woman”