Crazy Arm
Union City Breath
I really enjoyed Crazy Arm’s 2009 debut, Born To Ruin, which I discovered after the list had been compiled that year. In retrospect, that album would have certainly made my top ten in 2009. Union City Breath takes things to a completely different level, though, launching the ludicrously-named Crazy Arm to the top echelons of my list. One of the heaviest records on my countdown this year (Mastodon notwithstanding), this helped to fill a metal/heavy rock gap, where much of what I was listening to this year was indie. The progression from Born To Ruin is evident in a number of respects, though the broad Against Me! style template is still at the core of this. Added to the mix are increased guitar virtuosity, lyrical vitriol and bile (‘Song Of Choice’, for example, is just nasty; not merely anti-racism but viciously anti-racist…), some Irish folk sounds and an interesting approach to layering/overlaying vocals. At the end of it all, though, this is just a superb hard rock album, which comes out swinging and lands far more punches than it misses. Tracks like ‘Tribes/Animals’ and ‘Of The Tarantulas’ are amongst my favourite stand-alone rock songs of the year. It’s interesting that while there are three records I ultimately decided I preferred to this in 2011, my ipod play count says that Union City Breath was my most played record of the year. Of course, that doesn’t count CD plays, but I’ve clearly spent many an hour banging my head to Crazy Arm.
Union City Breath
I really enjoyed Crazy Arm’s 2009 debut, Born To Ruin, which I discovered after the list had been compiled that year. In retrospect, that album would have certainly made my top ten in 2009. Union City Breath takes things to a completely different level, though, launching the ludicrously-named Crazy Arm to the top echelons of my list. One of the heaviest records on my countdown this year (Mastodon notwithstanding), this helped to fill a metal/heavy rock gap, where much of what I was listening to this year was indie. The progression from Born To Ruin is evident in a number of respects, though the broad Against Me! style template is still at the core of this. Added to the mix are increased guitar virtuosity, lyrical vitriol and bile (‘Song Of Choice’, for example, is just nasty; not merely anti-racism but viciously anti-racist…), some Irish folk sounds and an interesting approach to layering/overlaying vocals. At the end of it all, though, this is just a superb hard rock album, which comes out swinging and lands far more punches than it misses. Tracks like ‘Tribes/Animals’ and ‘Of The Tarantulas’ are amongst my favourite stand-alone rock songs of the year. It’s interesting that while there are three records I ultimately decided I preferred to this in 2011, my ipod play count says that Union City Breath was my most played record of the year. Of course, that doesn’t count CD plays, but I’ve clearly spent many an hour banging my head to Crazy Arm.
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