1. Chapel Song (3:09)
2. Augustine (4:15)
3. Headlong into the Abyss (4:30)
4. Book of James (5:01)
5. East Los Angeles (3:00)
6. Juarez (4:20)
7. Philadelphia (4:18)
8. New Drink for the Old Drunk (3:55)
9. Patton State Hospital (3:21)
10. Strange Days (3:02)
11. Barrel of Leaves (3:08)
12. The Instrumental (3:51)
It's hard to put a finger on just the type of music that We Are Augustines puts forth in their debut album. Their band name and album title is reminiscent of an Oi band like The Dropkick Murphys, but when I listened to them, the lead singer Billy McCarthy's voice almost sounds like it has a Scottish accent, which gave me a We Were Promised Jetpacks and Frightened Rabbit vibe, except, the band is from New York. So then I just stopped thinking about it and realized that, whatever they sound like, they're good.
The album is fast paced, with loud music, and McCarthy's voice almost has that distant, echo-like feel, not unlike The Gaslight Anthem, which makes it feel like you're listening to it live. It's great party music and, unquestionably, great drinking music. It's not until track five, East Los Angeles, until the album slows down and has a little change-of-pace. But the entire album is emotion-packed and should make you feel something.
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| Billy McCarthy, Eric Sanderson and Rob Allen of We Are Augustines. |
The first half is much better than the second, but that's no slight because the first half is damn good. Once you listen to Chapel Song, you'll immediately know what you are getting, and in slightly different ways. The next track Augustine has a chorus that sounds oddly similar to Hungry like the Wolf by Duran Duran, which is only a good thing.
Favorite tracks: Again, Chapel Song kicks the album off the right way, and it only gets better. Headlong into the Abyss may be my second favorite track, but it's clear that the album revolves around The Book of James, which is the band's most complete song. While the album is mostly fast-paced rock, the one real ballad on the album is Barrel of Leaves, which showcases the band's softer side.
