"Old Crows" is the anthemic opening track on Old Crows / Young Cardinals, the fourth full-length from Canada's unlikely post-hardcore kings, Alexisonfire. Yes, the screamo tag has dogged the band since their Level Plane / No Idea-inspired inception in 2001, but without vocalist George Pettit's trademark scream (these days, he's producing a melodic, guttural roar), "Old Crows" is grown-up rock'n'roll being played by grown-ups.
As we examine in our upcoming cover story on the band, Alexisonfire really did grow up in the period between 2006's Crisis and Old Crows, after eight years of constant touring left them in a state of perpetual adolescence that might have been a little unhealthy. "I think a lot of things just caught up with us," says vocalist and guitarist Wade MacNeil. "There are those stupid rock'n'roll clichés that start happening when you're drinking too much and not taking care of yourself. The attitude we've had for a while is just, 'We're young! We're a band!' And we got hit over the head with it." Taking time off to recuperate after an endless touring cycle for Crisis, the band's renewed and genuine enthusiasm for the act of playing and writing music together is all over "Old Crows."
Check out more tracks from the album here!
As we examine in our upcoming cover story on the band, Alexisonfire really did grow up in the period between 2006's Crisis and Old Crows, after eight years of constant touring left them in a state of perpetual adolescence that might have been a little unhealthy. "I think a lot of things just caught up with us," says vocalist and guitarist Wade MacNeil. "There are those stupid rock'n'roll clichés that start happening when you're drinking too much and not taking care of yourself. The attitude we've had for a while is just, 'We're young! We're a band!' And we got hit over the head with it." Taking time off to recuperate after an endless touring cycle for Crisis, the band's renewed and genuine enthusiasm for the act of playing and writing music together is all over "Old Crows."
Check out more tracks from the album here!