Old Crows / Young Cardinals

I have listened to Alexisonfire ever since their self titled disc and have seen them change. In their first CD, their song structure was very weak, but innovative. They started to get the hang of it by Watch Out! and mastered the art by Crisis. With Old Crows / Young Cardinals, Their evolution seems complete.

The album itself, like most new albums, is made of a cardboard instead of plastic. Here’s the album art:

The album art is very simplistic, but Alexisonfire isn’t really known for intricate and big album art (See: Alexisonfire, Watch Out! and Crisis) compared to other bands. As stated, the album art is simplistic, but it suits it. The album is called Old Crows / Young Cardinals, so why not paint a cardinal and crow for it? (Thanks to Paul Jackson for the album art and the collage.)

I have to admit, it took me a little longer to review this CD because Alexisonfire has an uncanny ability to make you want to listen to their songs over and over. The single Young Cardinals is one of those songs. The beat is fast, Dallas sings with more emphasis and heart than he ever has in previous Alexisonfire albums and the harmonies during the chorus ring so beautifully. Unlike their older songs, George is not screaming. His new way of screaming is definitely new and you may be shocked when you first hear him. Although he isn’t screaming like he has been in previous albums, his singing is harsh and rough sounding, almost like a half scream half sing and once you get used to it, it sounds really good.

A personal favourite on the CD is Born and Raised. As soon as the song starts, you are hit with a wicked solo. Dallas’ parts have so much emphasis into them, but it doesn’t drown out Wade for the harmonies and it doesn’t drown out the instruments. The balance between them makes the song so much better since nothing is overpowering. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and the drums keep a simple beat. The outro to the song is another solo and then when the song ends, it comes to a rolling stop. The song is just so catchy that you want to listen to it a few more times before moving on to the next song.

Old Crows / Young Cardinals Is a definite hit. Unfortunately, they moved away from the basics with George’s new way of singing and they sound nothing like their first album. If you loved listening to George scream or you loved the innovative song structure on their first album, you may be dissapointed. It is different, but different is good in terms of Old Crows / Young Cardinals. It is a definite want if you are collecting Alexisonfire albums or you love their music. It is also a strong statement that Alexisonfire isn’t going to be finished any time soon. With this new sound, they could continue on for a long time.

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