Cinderblock Garden - Great track! But this track seems to get a helluva lot of love, when (personally) it doesn’t feel like THE true standout track of ATL’s discography. Maybe with more listens. I feel like the last minute of the song is the strongest though. Old Scars/Future Hearts - Awesome track and ends the album on a high note. Don’t You Go is decent but doesn’t compare. Missed most of this round, busy weekend. This was my first time listening to the album, so impressions are first impressions.
I’d definitely say Cinderblock is this band’s best song. I’d rank Missing You above it due to personal connection, but if I have to introduce someone to ATL, I’m putting on Cinderblock.
I definitely really like Cinderblock, but I'd have a hard time saying it's THE definitive ATL track. I'm curious as to why you'd say it is
I think it’s the perfect evolution of their pop-punk (using that term loosely) songwriting. It’s more mature lyrically and they let the song breathe more than in their earlier work, while still being catchy as hell. This is all pretty vague I guess, but it really feels like the kind of song you could put on at any sort of gathering and most people would probably like it. I don’t think I could make quite the same claim about any song prior to FH, despite the fact that I love almost all of their discography.
I also think what you consider the definitive ATL song depends on which era of the band you prefer. I still like Nothing Personal a lot, but I think they grew into a much better band than the one who made that album, so I’d go with something like Cinderblock or Good Times over Weightless.
As far as the "perfect evolution of their pop-punk songwriting", I think I'd give the edge on that to Old Scars (though that may be more "alternative rock", I don't know. Genres are dumb). It's the perfect culmination of what the band had done up to that point, both musically and thematically. Plus, that refrain of "We've scars on our future hearts, but we never look back" is great. I can definitely see what you're saying with "I could put Cinderblock on at a party and pretty much everybody would like it", though. That being said, Good Times is definitely the best song the band has written in my opinion.
I think Old Scars is a really good song, it’s just never hit me that hard personally for whatever reason
Ok sorry Dear Maria is THE definitive ATL song. Not saying the best, and not saying it's the best to get someone into them in 2018, but if you are going to poll people on the streets and ask them if they know this band based on one song, you're going to get the best results if you use Dear Maria.
I’ve done it with some other bands, it’s super difficult. I’ll probably try to put it together tomorrow
Pretty sure I did it with Linkin Park back when that bracket was going on. I'll try and do it tonight or tomorrow. There's a very good chance I'll just omit most of the pre-Put Up songs since, besides Circles and Noel, I just do not care about any of them
I’ve been a fan of ATL ever since 2005 when they used to play at local shows in front of 25-30 people. Since then when they played it, my go-to song of theirs will probably forever be “The Party Scene”.
End of ROUND 3 I really don't think there's any point in continuing this round. Tidal Waves: 3 Cinderblock Garden: 18 ---------- Old Scars/Future Hearts: 16 Don't You Go: 5 FINAL ROUND Cinderblock Garden vs. Old Scars/Future Hearts