The name of the album is “Smile For Them” which when accompanied with the cover art would imply that Armor For Sleep is sending a message about the music scene. Ironically though when listening to the lyrics and the musical style of the record it would seem as if they are playing the same game all the other MTV bands are.
“Williamsburg” is incredibly catchy with musical hooks though out the entire song. The lyrics, however, make the song feel cheap, especially ones like “passed out, sleeping at your party, dreaming of leaving in the morning…”.
“Hold The Door” is probably one of the best songs on the record. It begins slower and with a darker tone but then jumps into a stadium rock chorus that is perfectly executed. The curiously intriguing lyrics in “Snow Globe” are something I wish was found though out the entire album rather than only a few select places. The song, although less than 2 minutes long, hits a sweet spot for the band.
“End of The World” appeared on the Transformers soundtrack earlier this year and was one of the first tastes for the new album. The song is a good representation of the overall album feel and style. If the song was something that caught your attention and something you loved, then this may be the record for you after all.
Some of the closing songs such as “Chemicals” and ” Stand In The Spotlight” fall on the generic sideline. The songs aren’t bad yet feel a little too much like filler or that the band wasn’t able to give them that extra something to make them stand out like they could.
Musically and lyrically there are hints of the bands stand up debut album but overall this album can be described as a guilty pleasure record. I haven’t lost faith that this band will put out the album most people know they are capable of, and when they do it will be one that people will be blown away by. This however, was not that record.
Track Listing
| Song Title | |||
| 1. | Smile For The Camera | ||
| 2. | Williamsburg | ||
| 3. | Somebody Else's Arms | ||
| 4. | Hold The Door | ||
| 5. | Run Right Back In | ||
| 6. | Snow Globe | ||
| 7. | End Of The World | ||
| 8. | Stars In Your Eyes | ||
| 9. | Lullabye | ||
| 10. | Chemicals | ||
| 11. | My Saving Grace | ||
| 12. | Stand In The Spotlight | ||
