Armor For Sleep Band • Page 6

I already have WTDWYD on vinyl but if it’s deluxe and has enough extra new stuff to warrant a purchase - I definitely will. That record means the world to me and I’ve been having the whole album on repeat at work in celebration. I think I’m on my 3rd repeat right now lol


Anyways - definitely will be at the San Francisco date!

 

I listened to Smile For Them the other night and it’s easily their weakest effort. Very half filler/half killer but the songs that are great are really great.

Smile For The Camera, Hold The Door, Run Right Back In, Lullaby, Stars in Your Eyes, Chemicals (If you can ignore the amateur lyrics), My Saving Grace are *chef’s kiss*

 

For real. This album was the real shit. I think if WTDWYD was released first, and DTMB was second, it'd definitely get the same recognition, maybe more. Such a genuinely great album of that era, and I find AFS were better before they started to play into themselves and the scene too much. Some of the mall rock, hating on shit, was just a bit wank.

 

I have 2/3 of the vinyl varients. I think I have like 5 copies.

Missing the pink.

 

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what do you mean by playing into themselves?

 

More that they were a bit too self-aware of the music they were making. The first album seemed to draw on influences, whereas the later albums all seemed to be an attempt to fit the scene, and what was popular. In a weird way, their first album was their most mature, in my opinion.

 

I’ve been kicking myself for skipping the 10 year tour and the vinyl so both of these are a must. Unfortunately, none of my friends really liked these guys and my gf will be away that weekend, so I’ll be attending solo.

Still excited though. My friend from California and I traveled to NYC for their first reunion and they opened with Awkward Last words. So goddamn good

 

Are you willing to part with any of those.

I kid.

 

gotcha. I personally thought mychem took the cake for that so I never really minded their take on it. I agree with your original point though. I find myself going back to dream to make believe much more often. Car underwater, imo, is so damn cheesy. Love the rest of the album though

 

The show at Irving? What an awesome show that was. I ended up going to the after party and drinking with Nash until they kicked us out at 5am. I'll never forget that night, although they probably have no recollection of who I am lol

 

Yes! I remember being at that show and some guy in the pit pushed another guy for whatever reason and that guys gf smacked the guy back. The guy that got smacked then punches her directly in the face. One of the most wild things I’ve ever seen

 

I made a music video for that song in PowerPoint for a class project in 11th grade. Must have listened to over 100 times in one week. I rarely listen to this band anymore but that song is permanently etched in my brain.

 

The track that is the worst for me is Williamsburg, off of the third album. It's the sort of stuff that pop punk can get away with, but when an emo/alternative band does it, it just comes off as snotty & sarcastic.

"Too hip to even clean your nose out"
"Do you know how obvious you are? You were born in New Hampshire but you say you're from the O.C."
"Brooklyn's a death bed, for clones of the same kid. Stuck in a party that was lame to begin with"

Painful.

Of course, I'm mostly talking lyrically. Musically, there are some really great moments on WTDWYD, although I find on the whole the songs flowed less well, and felt underdone. Almost a bit rushed.

 

Armor for Sleep means the world to me. They were very influential to me in my late teens/early 20s, and I still jam their music pretty often today. I only saw them for the first time back when they toured in 2015, and I'm definitely getting tickets for this again. What to do when you are dead and dream to make believe are 2 of the best albums to come out of this scene.

 

oh yeah, when they released that song I knew the album was going to suck. That and that song from the transformers soundtrack

 

Somebody Else's Arms has basically been stuck in my head for 13 years so that's my take away from Smile For Them. Also Smile For the Camera is a banger

 

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Oh boy~! I just saw you put San Francisco and my heart skipped a beat - I'll definitely be at this tour. I only saw them once with like Atreyu or something back in the day.

 

Ok now you guys are taking YOURSELVES too seriously lol, I love how fun those lyrics are. Those are the kind of lyrics that you drunkenly yell-sing out during karaoke reminiscing about the mid 2000s. Especially with Ben's voice, it's the perfect kind to singalong to.

 

The lyrics aren't why I like AFS so it doesn't really bother me.

 

Those damn coastal elites lol

 

I am also team Williamsburg. Never really paid that much attention to the lyrics though I just kind of went with it

 

My town -> wanderers guild -> frost is such a good run

 

Tonight at 12, we change ourselves.

im really fucking bummed this isn’t coming to the northwest, But that’s pretty par for the course For 2020 shows so far so...

 

I asked them to please add Portland, and they responded with a sad emoji... so I'm looking at cost to go to SF, even though I can't really afford it.

 

Something that's sadly overlooked too often (perhaps cause it's not available on streaming services) is the band's final release - The Way Out Is Broken EP.

It's songs that didn't make the cut for Smile For Them and I wish it did as it would have made the record stronger (minus We'll Own The World) in my opinion.

Anyways, since I am on a full-blown AFS kick - I made a playlist of what I think would have been a pretty solid record. I also think the title The Way Out Is Broken is a much better title than Smile For Them. The same goes for the artwork of the EP vs Smile.


The Way Out Is Broken
1. Smile For The Camera
2. Vanished
3. Hold The Door
4. This Abyss
5. Run Right Back In
6. Stars In Your Eyes
7. Know What You Have
8. Lullaby
9. Chemicals
10. My Saving Grace
11. The Way Out Is Broken


Just sayin' ¯\_(ツ)_/¯