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Ahh, the satisfaction of hearing a largely improved band is an unbeatable feeling that doesn't occur as often as I would prefer. Alexisonfire released their debut full-length almost two years ago and it quickly established the band as a favorite act in Canada, where their videos and music saw a respectable amount of airplay. But their first offering had some holes, mainly in the production quality and lack of concise, direct songs. Both of those areas, and many other drawbacks, have been cleaned up on "Watch Out!" and make for a more vibrant, electric listen.
Alexisonfire will likely be called out for their more extensive reliance on clean, melodic singing on "Watch Out!," but it seems to suit the band a bit better. I tend to wonder what the band's lead singer, who actually spews his lyrics in the form of really piercing screams, does during some of these songs. One band member's boredom aside, though, the frequent melodic tendencies are more memorable and fitting amongst Alexisonfire's style of music. Fortunately, longtime fans of Alexisonfire will still be able to feast on the band's strings of guitar noodling and biting edge, just in less of a consistent manner.
While Alexisonfire falls somewhere into what is currently labeled as "screamo," they remain surprisingly distinguished. Even though the screaming and singing often overlap and the music occasionally gets heavy, I have almost no difficulty in quickly concluding that the band at hand is Alexisonfire. The band's previous effort was rather distinct itself but, over time, these musicians seem to have replaced much of the chaos and linear songwriting with more memorable and restrained melodies and some atmospheric tendencies. With soaring, melodic vocals accenting hefty riffs and delicate, sometimes spacey string picking, "Watch Out!" just carries a different tone than the band's previous material. And while Alexisonfire has toned down the spastic chaos, there's still an undeniable edge, especially prevalent in the ode to melodic hardcore, "That Girl Possessed," as well as the annoyingly catchy opener, "Accidents."
On "Watch Out!," Alexisonfire sounds like a focused and tightly knit band. I can imagine that some longtime fans of the band will be saddened by the sizable decrease in spastic moments and screamed vocals, but I'm having little trouble in bidding farewell. If you're into today's batch of bands that mix hard and soft musical elements, Alexisonfire is one to check out, as they do it better and with more inspiration than most.
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