Review: Attack In Black - Marriage
Posted on 30 January 2008 | No Comments
My favorite album of the moment (in addition to the new Chris Walla and Ida albums) has got to be Attack In Black’s 2007 album Marriage. It beautifully fuses rough and tumble punk with delicate and yearning alt-country melodies shaded with a hint of Springsteen-esqe rock n’ roll and sounds like the pulse of the American heartland. Except that these guys are from Canada.
On Marriage Attack In Black incorporates tons of different stylistic elements (saxophones, banjo, steel guitar, gentle piano codas, snarling vocals, etc…) together into a cohesive whole that couldn’t sound more natural. The music is effortless and relaxed but (at times) has an urgency that could fuel a revolution. Contradictions and juxtapositions are the foundation of Marriage and what keeps it interesting, engaging, and exciting from start to finish. They can erupt from quiet and almost minimal verses into huge swelling sing-a-long choruses that could fill a stadium or just blaze straight ahead.
Even though Grubbs might take offense at this description, just imagine a cross between the honest Richmond punk of Smoke Or Fire, On A Wire-era Get Up Kids, and the anthemic rock qualities of The Boss. Rarely have I been as immediately smitten with an album as I was upon hearing Marriage for the first time. And maybe only because both bands are from Canada and some hardcore punk history, I’ll toss Attack In Back into the same category as The Weakerthans; and rightly so since Marriage is right up there with Reunion Tour as one of 2007’s best records.
MP3 | Attack In Black – Young Leaves Marriage
MP3 | Attack In Black – Marriage Marriage
Filed Under: Album Reviews, Americana, Emo, Punk
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