Alexisonfire
Death Letter
(Dine Alone Records)
3.5/5
City and Colour
Covers Pt. 2
(Dine Alone Records)
2.5/5
Emo kids rejoice!
Newly reworked material is being released by Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil of Alexisonfire just in time to hit your Christmas wish list. The best part? It’s called Death Letter. Think of how excited your mom will be to buy this one for you.
But be warned, these aren’t new Alexisonfire songs, just acoustic versions of previously released tunes. No surprise then that it sounds like what Dallas Green does in his solo project, City and Colour. And that’s alright with me.
There’s no lack of emotion in these softer versions. “You Burn First” takes on a spacey, tripped-out feel, while “Happiness By The Kilowatt” comes in with piano instead of drums, giving it a whole new feeling. My favourite part about all six of the songs on this EP? No screaming.
These interpretations get to the heart of the songs. This little compilation, timed to coincide with the kickoff of Alexisonfire’s farewell tour, has all that I love about the band and none of what I hate. And they didn’t have to yell at me to get me to see it their way. Sometimes subtlety goes a long way.
Fans of Dallas Green rejoice! Covers Pt. 2 is a simultaneous release of a whopping two cover songs under the man’s City and Colour namesake. There’s not much to say about these. Dallas Green plays these on tour. They’re nice. The Constantines cover has some harmonica in it, so that gets extra brownie points in my book.