The Lawrence Arms - The Greatest Story Ever Told
This album had, bar none, the best use of a dual-vocalist approach I’ve ever heard. The track separation is divided evenly. Chris brings the emotional, melancholic side while Brendan contributes the snotty punk rock for which he is loved. And their voices aren’t even exclusive to their own songs. Not at all. The backing vocals, though a stark contrast in style, hit in all the right places. The genius of the lyrics is another remarkable aspect. The two songwriters are so well-read that the abundance of obscure pop-cultural references necessitates a separate section in the liner notes for cited annotations. To top it all off, The Greatest Story Ever Told is loosely a circus-themed concept record, in which there are several recurring ideas. I wish I could be more specific about the unifying theme, but it’s hard to explain. Put simply, this record needs to be heard.
NOFX - Pump up the Valuum
A NOFX album without the mandatory throwaway track or tracks? There are two, possibly three that exist. This is one of them. Pump up the Valuum (a terrific pun that was unfortunately watered down from its original title, Pump up the Valium, for fear of a lawsuit) was nonstop, edge-of-your-seat punk rock. The humor was there, obviously, but so was the introspective side. Fat Mike is clever, witty, and smart, but he will never embrace his intelligence in an arrogant, pretentious manner. On the contrary, he downplays it altogether. For those who can see past his occasionally juvenile, though endearing antics, there are moments of subtle brilliance. “I’ll trade a hundred days for one inside of you.”
Converge - Jane Doe
Jane Doe is unlike anything else in my music collection. Although it is far from being immediately accessible, it demands repeated listens for that very reason. In my opinion, it is probably the most intense emotional expression put to tape. Jacob Bannon’s screams sound as though they could shatter glass. Bannon and his extremely talented group of musicians were the perfect match for each other. The technicality and precision within their dreary sonic texture created totally unconventional song structures, where time signatures were sometimes impossible to pinpoint. The atmosphere was incredibly, incredibly bleak. Converge redefined hardcore, and Jane Doe is undisputedly their magnum opus.
Glass and Ashes - Aesthetic Arrest
Without hesitation, I can safely declare that both Glass and Ashes full lengths are absolutely astonishing. My iTunes library can attest to this, as there is not a single song on each that didn’t receive my personal “five-star” rating. What’s more remarkable is that in this respect, Glass and Ashes stands alone as being uniquely flawless in every sense of the word. Their 2008 self-titled sophomore record is equally deserving of its place in this list, but I decided to nominate the album that turned me on to the band in the first place. Aesthetic Arrest is gritty, dark, angry, and incredibly passionate. Even with such aggressive vocals, Michael Carter shows his ability to maturely tackle a difficult subject matter with thought and sensitivity.
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