Despite being a rather lackluster follow-up to one of the greatest emo records of the last ten years, I managed to enjoy Alexisonfire‘s 2006 effort Crisis. I understand that this isn’t a popular opinion – the more I talk to people, the more that I realize I am the only one that enjoyed it. However, it seems that no matter what your opinion was of Crisis, you were looking forward to a new Alexonsfire effort. I mean fuck, few Canadian bands have had impact beyond the border while still being a band that we actively acknowledge as being Canadian.
And after Old Crows/Young Cardinals, we still will, although not with the same amount of enthusiasm as a few years ago after the releases of their 2003 Self-Titled effort and “Watch Out!” the 2004 effort I mentioned previously. The first two tracks are the two halves of the title, and form a surprising start to the record – “Old Crows” with it’s bass-driven centre, and “Young Cardinals” with it’s punky demeanor and catchy chorus. Without a doubt, this is a strong one-two punch to start the album, but the impact disintegrates with the tedious “Sons of Privilege” and “Born and Raised” which steals a chord progression from the superior “Thrones”, a bonus track from Crisis (credit to the one who pointed this out to me). Following up is another doozy called “No Rest” – a song title I disagree with completely. In fact, the song makes me want to fall asleep during each verse. ZzZz.
Next up is the dark and groovy “The Northern”, one of the strongest tracks on the album. It is followed up by a few catchy, but ultimately forgettable numbers. The album closes out with the punky – in musical and lyrical theme – “Accept Crime” and “Burial” – a track that tries to emulate “Rough Hands”as a slow balladlike finish. It isn’t nearly as strong as the closer to Crisis.
Despite the ups and downs of the album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals is still a solid effort. It is worth listening to just for the choruses alone – they have always been the band’s strongest point, and this record is no exception. However, it does not hold a candle to their first two records, but it is stronger than their previous effort (haters rejoice!). I still can’t help wonder if the band listen to their previous records for inspiration.
(6.7/10)
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