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EDIT INFOArmor For Sleep - Smile For Them
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Album Details
- Artist: Armor For Sleep
- Album: Smile For Them
- Label: Sire
- Year of Release: 2007
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: blackxdan on 2007-11-17
Recommend"What if you find out, everyone thats in your life is only being paid off by a tv studio? And every conversation everyones had with you was scripted by the writers living in Los Angeles?"
Just think about what you would do if that were the case in your life. For some people it is, they smile for the cameras that keep rolling for them and put up acts for everyone around them. Smile for the Camera, the opening track for Smile For Them, makes complete sense and opens ideas to question everything and ask yourself 'what if?' The first thing that is clearly noticable when you pop in Armor For Sleep's junior album, is that there sound has a harder, poppier feel to it. Williamsburg is a great song that has a great upbeat tempo to it. That adds to the addictive nature of the song. It's the type of song that would get stuck in your head for weeks.
Hold the Door is a good song which has the potential to be a great hit for Armor For Sleep. The chorus carries a heavy message, which isnt heard enough in most of the modern day songs. 'I don't want to be who I was back then. I almost lost you again.' Powerful messages contained within the songs. End of the World is a great song. One I think was begging to be released by a band that could handle making it. Armor For Sleep was the band able to release this song to the masses. The chorus is catchy and can get you hooked onto the rest of the song. Overall, it's a beautiful song. Stars In Your Eyes contains great lyrics to go along with their good lyrics. Everything just fits together within this song to make it a very successful one.
While this album is going to be a great success for Armor For Sleep, it's not on the same level as What To Do When You're Dead. There was plenty of room left for improvement, for example, some of the lyrics just dont make sense. It seems that some of the lyrical referrences are just filler to make the chorus sound right. But other than the little differences, this album is as great as Dream to Make Believe.
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Log In or Register to Rate Albumson 2007-12-06 dscanland Said:
Awesome review Andrew. As long as you've written it, there is no issue posting here. I'm gonna have to check out Smile For Them. I've kind of been paying attention to Armor For Sleep (due to hstisgod's love for them) but never checked into this one.
Not Rated
Review:
on 2007-12-06 Alotofnothing Said:
Oh, shit, I'm posting like a full length review for once! :D This was for the school newspaper, I figure there's no reason not to put it on here.
Armor for Sleep is a band originating from New Jersey, blending pop, punk, and post-hardcore to forge an original sound. The band was hosted by the independent Equal Vision Records for their first two albums, but has now moved on to a major label. The departure from Equal Vision also marks their departure from the theme followed by their first two albums, one of different universes, such as the dream world and heaven. Their newest album, Smile For Them, involves a concept that is not nearly as strict as the first two albums, and follows topics such as modern consumer culture, reality television, and other current cultural trends.
The album begins with the title track. Beginning with some electronic noise, it quickly builds up to pounding drums and thumping power chords. Vocalist Ben Jorgenson jumps right into a sort of narrative about a character who is trapped as the center of a reality television show. The lyrics touch on the nihilism that is created for people at the center of such shows; And every time you trip up, its all just a game, nothings really mattered, nothing was as bad as you thought it was.
Williamsburg, the second track, begins with a reverb heavy lead guitar part wailing the melody, which fades into rhythmic instrumentals accompanied by lyrics following teenage angst and resentment towards those following our cultures expectations.
The band returns to a tradition followed in past albums, setting a purposefully monotonous mood with a droning synthesizer beginning and slightly discordant guitar. They build up to lyrics regretful lyrics mentioning personal change and nearly lost love. Using hitchhiking as a metaphor for life, we end up with one of the highlight tracks on the album.
The shortest track on the album, Snow Globe, does not even reach the two minute mark. It is sung over a rapid guitar part that flickers through different notes. Snare drums fade in and out, and the simplicity of the song is earnest and serious, a new idea that sadly doesnt only lasts 1:49.
One of the strongest tracks on the album is Stars In Your Eyes. Its got a clumsy but fun chord-based guitar riff at the opening, which is followed by some chanting, and a catchy drumbeat. It also features my favorite lyric on the album; I was chasing comets with a butterfly net, thinking I could pull one down again, but I was just slipping into my little daydream. The song represents confusion between reality and the wishful thinking that prevails in side all of us.
Stand In The Spotlight brings the album to a resolved ending, which seems to be about the nameless character harnessing the power he is given through stardom.
Overall, the album may come as disappointing to fans who have followed the band, but it is by no means a bad album. Like all of Armor For Sleeps work, the songs seem weak by themselves but when pieced together as an album, they cohesively form something great.
Rating: 8/10
Review:
on 2007-11-18 hstisgod Said:
I think regardless of the conceptual integrity, it does the job. You still have to listen in its entirety just like a concept album to really get a vibe. They're not Floyd, but AFS is doing their best to be. Either way, this album while disappointing, doesnt surprise me either. Less edgy than the last "What to do", which was a LOT less edgy than the first. I feel dirty having liked What to do so much now, cause it appears these guys are only gonna continue winding down their sound. *Bass line kicks in * Another one bites the dust!!!
Rating: 7/10
Review:
on 2007-11-17 blackxdan Said:
i think it might be a concept album, but it kinda goes out of order? So it's really hard to tell. But i forgot to mention, this album has to be listened to as a whole. You cant just choose one song and listen to it.
Not Rated
Review:
on 2007-11-17 Alotofnothing Said:
Anybody know if this is a concept album or not? It seems like it at first glance, but I'm really not sure. I haven't listened to the album enough for a rating, but Armor for Sleep managed to once again give me an album that straddles absolute love and estranged disappointment. So confused....>.<
Rating: 8/10
Review:
on 2007-11-17 hstisgod Said:
Beat me to the punch, I was just contemplating a review of this album LAST NIGHT!!! Anyways...good review. Add this to the list of my favorite Dannyboy reviews please.
Rating: 7/10
