As Cities Burn Come Now Sleep
Solid State Records TND82908 August 14, 2007
By Jason Jordan
As Cities Burns sophomore album Come Now Sleep isnt invested in screamo as much as their debut Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest is. Instead, the four-piece incorporate more indie rock, post-rock, and intermittent Neur-Isis leanings to reach over 55 minutes of music, and at that length, CNS is 20 minutes longer than SILYaYD, but is just as emotionally-driven, if not more. Since its on the softer side of the spectrum, however, its admittedly not for everyone.
Still filled to the brim with heartfelt lyrics, downtrodden opener Contact is the type of faith questioning song that many can relate to. Bonnette, again, sings beautifully and is at times tonally similar to John K. Samson of The Weakerthans fame. The production is excellent, too, allowing one to distinguish between each instrument with little to no effort. Empire is more upbeat with an incredibly smooth chorus. Lamentably, the vocal effects detract from the performance, and Bonnette sounds better either singing or screaming acoustically. The Hoard is about the same, but offers a captivating chorus, which is bolstered by energetic instrumentation. Follower This Is It, This Is It lacks the former but has the latter, while others such as Clouds and New Sun are in tune with the depressed, opening number Contact. The last handful of songs Wrong Body, Our World Is Grey, and the 13-minute Timothy is where the post-rock/Neur-Isis influence manifests itself most noticeably, though its also a subtle development due to the occasional likeness found earlier. While the closer Timothy is a tribute to their fallen comrade, it dwarfs the other tracks by several minutes, and is perhaps too long for its own good.
Also, those who preordered the album received a 4-song, 17-minute disc entitled The EP, which contains demos of The Hoard, New Sun, and Tides, in addition to a spotty, live rendition of The Widow. The unique packaging for Come Now Sleep theres no card under the CD tray is a curious decision because the album relies on stickers for identification, aside from the liner notes and CD itself.
Luckily, As Cities Burn reneged at some point after announcing their breakup in 2006, but while Come Now Sleep is on par with Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest overall, the few memorable tracks from Son best these. Even so, if you enjoy indie rock in any capacity, this group will treat you right.
Official As Cities Burn Website
Official Solid State Records Website
Solid State Records TND82908 August 14, 2007
By Jason Jordan
As Cities Burns sophomore album Come Now Sleep isnt invested in screamo as much as their debut Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest is. Instead, the four-piece incorporate more indie rock, post-rock, and intermittent Neur-Isis leanings to reach over 55 minutes of music, and at that length, CNS is 20 minutes longer than SILYaYD, but is just as emotionally-driven, if not more. Since its on the softer side of the spectrum, however, its admittedly not for everyone.
Still filled to the brim with heartfelt lyrics, downtrodden opener Contact is the type of faith questioning song that many can relate to. Bonnette, again, sings beautifully and is at times tonally similar to John K. Samson of The Weakerthans fame. The production is excellent, too, allowing one to distinguish between each instrument with little to no effort. Empire is more upbeat with an incredibly smooth chorus. Lamentably, the vocal effects detract from the performance, and Bonnette sounds better either singing or screaming acoustically. The Hoard is about the same, but offers a captivating chorus, which is bolstered by energetic instrumentation. Follower This Is It, This Is It lacks the former but has the latter, while others such as Clouds and New Sun are in tune with the depressed, opening number Contact. The last handful of songs Wrong Body, Our World Is Grey, and the 13-minute Timothy is where the post-rock/Neur-Isis influence manifests itself most noticeably, though its also a subtle development due to the occasional likeness found earlier. While the closer Timothy is a tribute to their fallen comrade, it dwarfs the other tracks by several minutes, and is perhaps too long for its own good.
Also, those who preordered the album received a 4-song, 17-minute disc entitled The EP, which contains demos of The Hoard, New Sun, and Tides, in addition to a spotty, live rendition of The Widow. The unique packaging for Come Now Sleep theres no card under the CD tray is a curious decision because the album relies on stickers for identification, aside from the liner notes and CD itself.
Luckily, As Cities Burn reneged at some point after announcing their breakup in 2006, but while Come Now Sleep is on par with Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest overall, the few memorable tracks from Son best these. Even so, if you enjoy indie rock in any capacity, this group will treat you right.
Official As Cities Burn Website
Official Solid State Records Website
