Armor For Sleep Band • Page 10

Just quoting my own post, as I've just listened to Ben talk about this with Shane Told on Lead Singer Syndrome, and funny to hear Ben say it was just a weird off-piste song they put on a demo just to give something to the record label who weren't happy with the songs so far. Also felt pretty brutal how open Shane was about the album bombing lol. Crazy how young they all were when they put the first two albums out!

 

I loved this podcast episode, but yeah I think Shane went way too hard in letting Ben know he didn't like the third album lol. Especially since I didn't think the album was THAT bad. And even though their core fan base didn't love it, I'm pretty sure it was their most successful chart wise and singles wise. They even got a song on the Transformers soundtrack for god's sake!

 

Hold the door is a top 10 song

 

Ben Jorgensen predicted GoT.

 

I’m like 3 years behind on my LSS but I need to hear Ben again

 

Acoustic version of basement ghost singing included on this

 

Instagram says it's a new quarantine recording.

 

Yeah just saw that.

New recordings are cool but new songs are cooler. Not sure if Ben's referenced doing any writing lately...

 

I can’t remember what podcast it was but he actually sounded slightly optimistic on it. He said something along the lines of “if you asked me a few years ago - I would say no way but now? It definitely could happen”.

Fingers crossed!

 

He was never a GREAT vocalist, but this recording sounds good. Even when accounting for a bit of help in parts.

On the last tour, I was pleasantly surprised with how he sounded.

It’s weird talking about vocals with bands that are still so ‘young’. But the ‘scene’ was never known for killer voices.

What I’m trying to say is I want new AFS.

 

I always really liked how imperfect his singing is, especially his unique voice.

I just listened to his lead singer syndrome podcast from like last year and he sounded really out of music. Hopefully that changes.

 

I think in that podcast, he suggested some vinyl re-issue or something for WTDWYD, but obviously they ended up actually putting a tour together for it. So it certainly must have changed a fair bit, I'd say.

 

Been revisiting their discography for the first time in almost a decade. This band rips so hard.

 

Did a discography run last night and I still feel mixed about Smile but goddamn... What To Do When You're Dead is just as good 15 years later - if not better.

 

Smile has some good songs and I liked DTMB but WTDWYAD is the one I've come back to consistently over the years

 

DTMB is still my main go-to AFS album, but WTDWYAD is definitely close.

 

I think if you made a few swaps between DTMB and WTD you get one of the best scene albums full stop

 

I think I need to do a full discography run again, but I've always had WTD as their best with DTMB and Smile being equal.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Smile doesn't deserve the hate it gets. It's got Lullaby and Hold the Door for crying out loud!

 

Two great songs doesn’t make an album great though. Their first two albums are solid gold front to back.

 

I remember downloading DTMB off of Kazaa or one of those sites, and didn't realize almost all of the songs were demos until I heard the actual album years later. So now the "real" songs sound weird to me.

 

I really like about 70% of Smile. Hold The Door and Lullaby are definitely in that percentage as well.

The problem is that Smile still doesn’t meet the absolute quality found on WTDWYD at all.

I’ve said this plenty of times but if they kept the scrapped songs they later released on “The Way Out Is Broken” EP - they would have had a MUCH stronger record since all those songs are amazing and better than a lot of the songs off Smile. I would say cut “Williamsburg”, “Somebody Else’s Arms”, “Snow Globe”, “Chemicals” (only because it’s so half baked), and “Stand In The Spotlight” to make room for the songs.

Also; they should have named their record “The Way Out Is Broken” and closed the record with that title track. “Smile For Them” is cringe to me.

 

dream to make believe has this unreal ethereal atmosphere to it and for that it'll always be my favorite

 

I think Run Right Back In and My Saving Grace are the only top tier songs on Smile but I think Hold the Door and Stand in the Spotlight showcase some real growth potential. Some others do too but the lyrics hold a lot back.

 

100%

 

I still think it’s such a shame these guys called it quits when they did. Whilst Smile didn’t hit all the cords, it showed growth and I really wanted to see where they went next.

I wonder what a new AFS record would sound like in 2020?