Armor For Sleep

Item: Dream to Make Believe
Author: Chaz Murphy

Dream to Make Believe

(2003)

Reviewed by Chaz Murphy

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Label Equal Vision RecordsDecapolisJune 2003

alternative rock emo pop punk post-hardcore

Equal Vision Records has put out some great releases by some of my favorite bands. Ten Yard Fight, Bane, Floorpunch, As Friends Rust and 108 are just a few. I really haven't been all that entertained by some of their last releases until I got my hands on the debut album of Armor for Sleep. I didn't know what to expect at first glance. I was thinking, "Oh great, another wanna be pop-punk "emo" band." Within a minute of listening to this album I was hooked into this band.

For a lot of people that know me and how picky I am with music, they probably would think that I would hate this album or just not care for it. I'm sorry to disappoint but I have become a slave to the driving pop of Armor for Sleep. I really don't know what it is. One of my favorite albums of last year was Time Spent Driving's "Just Enough Bright". Armor for Sleep just has something that reminds me of them. Maybe it's the post-punk pop sound. It is poppy in some aspects but it isn't cheesy, cheap, or generic. I think Equal Vision has a gem here.

Sometimes the lyrics can be a tad tiresome but over all they are pretty good and original. The music and the vocals are really what hooked me. It's just a good reminder that the underground scene can be progressive without selling out or becoming a watered down version of everything that MTV says is hot. I really love this album. It might sneak into my top 10 of the year. There are only six months left and I have yet to be impressed by very much this year has to offer.

I give this album two great big thumbs up.

A-