here<\/a>.<\/p>\nOh! Calcutta! <\/strong>(by Aaron Lohan)
When it comes to The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>’ best record, without hesitation, I would say <\/span>\u2018Apathy and Exhaustion\u2019<\/em>. On the other hand, since my fellow writer has chosen that record, I will stand by the band\u2019s second best. <\/span>\u2018Oh! Calcutta!\u2019<\/em> was for a lot of people, including myself, the record where the Chicago trio made perfect sense. It has the instant spark to get you into the band, and forthrightly appreciate all of their other outputs. With this point made, I guess I should lay out the blanket called my opinion, and deliver each point out of the picnic basket I carry, unto the rug.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nPoint one, there\u2019s a great balance between the rawness and melody; a solid, co-operative marriage. \u2018The Devil\u2019s Takin\u2019 Names\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Lose Your Illusion 1\u2019<\/em> display this union smoothly, both dip and dive in desperate yells within a cocktail of serene gruffness. Point two, the Chicago trio step it up a notch when it comes to big, anthemic punk songs; songs which make you want to soar when you sing and dive off a stage. \u2018Are You There Margaret? It\u2019s Me God\u2019<\/em>, with its glorious chorus and memorable twinkle, sums this up perfectly. The anthemic structure lies in the foundation; not in terms of the music itself, but also the vocals, which leads on to the next point. After much work, the group are able to successfully co-operate as a well-oiled machine when it comes to vocals. Brendan Kelly\u2019s sandpaper-esque yells and Chris McCaughan\u2019s mellow resonance are a dynamic duo here. \u2018Beyond the Embarrassing Style\u2019<\/em> is a testament of this. \u00a0Other highlights to recommend is the rough kick to the nerve in \u2018Cut It Up\u2019<\/em> and the bluesy aplomb stomp in finale \u2018Like a Record Player\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\nHitherto, I have spoken on the music, but yet to convey the themes entangling the lyrics. I won\u2019t go into detail, but there\u2019s something relatable in them, adding to the spark of this LP. Broken, confused, questioning momentum; \u201cis there more to this, and how can we get back?\u201d That\u2019s one way in summing up the struggles the trio tell in their tales here. Delivered in simple, melodically raw punk enables the themes to hit home. It\u2019s for these reasons why I clicked with the band via this LP, and developed a respect for their catalogue. Indeed a great record from the Chicago outfit known as The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>.<\/p>\nApathy and Exhaustion (by Jay Sullivan)<\/strong>
The Lawrence Arms<\/strong> are one of those bands that took me ages to discover with no real reason behind the delay. I\u2019ve liked similar bands such as Hot Water Music and Alkaline Trio for years, but it was only a few years ago I got around to downloading <\/span>The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>\u2019\u00a0back catalogue. Luckily for me, this meant I got everything they\u2019ve ever done in one hit, and out of that rush of albums it\u2019s safe to say that \u2018<\/span>Apathy and Exhaustion\u2019<\/em>\u00a0is my absolute favourite. Queue a large dose of hyperbole\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nSmack bang in the middle of their releases and the first album to be released on Fat Wreck Chords, 2002\u2019s \u2018Apathy and Exhaustion\u2019<\/em>\u00a0has the strongest set of songs overall from any of The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>\u2019 albums. The catchiness of opener \u2018Porno and Snuff Films\u2019<\/em>\u00a0kicks the album off with a bang, and the way it crashes into my all-time favourite \u2018The First Eviction Notice\u2019\u00a0<\/em>make this album a classic from the off. Third track \u2018Navigating the Windward Passage\u2019<\/em>\u00a0has some of my favourite lyrical deliveries of any of The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>’ songs, mercilessly piling agony over agony, refusing to relent pace for even a second.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe whole album is a lot of fun, and while the subject matter is bleak, it keeps things upbeat with some amazing one liners, and a lot of really memorable rhyming couplets \u201cWhen I\u2019m done you won\u2019t miss me, you\u2019re dying to fist me\u201d<\/em> and \u201cBut don\u2019t forget to forget that you forgot me, when I show up at your door, I\u2019m gonna remember that you\u2019re my friend and fall asleep on the floor\u201d<\/em> both spring to mind. I like inventive wordplay in lyric writing, and The Lawrence Arms<\/strong> have a talent for it that\u2019s showcased best across this album.<\/p>\nSlower songs like \u2018Your Gravest Words\u2019<\/em>\u00a0and \u2018Boatless Booze Cruise Part 1\u2019\u00a0<\/em>help to break up the relentless onslaught of songs, and show their song writing at its most simple and effective.\u00a0 The simple riff and drum combination in \u2018Boatless Booze Cruise Part 1\u2019\u00a0<\/em>is on point, and the crescendo that builds around 3:40 into \u2018Brick Wall Views\u2019<\/em>\u00a0is a masterpiece in song writing.<\/p>\nIn short, at 38 minutes, \u2018Apathy and Exhaustion\u2019\u00a0<\/em>is perfect for getting a quick hit of The Lawrence Arms<\/strong>, and is also a great entry point into their lengthy back catalogue. Not only is it the best Lawrence Arms<\/strong> album, it\u2019s one of my all-time favourite albums. Perfection.\u00a0<\/p>\n‘Metropole’<\/em>\u00a0by\u00a0The Lawrence Arms<\/strong> is out now on Epitaph Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe Lawrence Arms<\/strong> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Website<\/a><\/p>\nWords by Jay Sullivan and Aaron Lohan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the year 1999, three young punks formed The Lawrence Arms. The line up has included to this very day, Brendan Kelly on vocals and guitar, Chris McCaughan on bass and vocals, and Neil Hennessy on drums. They released two albums on Asian Man Records and a further three albums on Fat Wreck Chords. After […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2329,8181],"tags":[62,10997,122,10998,8458,5966],"class_list":["post-25022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features","category-post","tag-already-heard","tag-apathy-and-exhaustion","tag-feature","tag-oh-calcutta","tag-the-lawrence-arms","tag-versus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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