Wisconsin punk band Arms Aloft recently released their album, What A Time To Be Barely Alive through All In Vinyl in the UK. Building from their first album Sawdust City, Arms Aloft certainly make something great here. You can find out more about the band through Facebook here and you definitely should.
Arms Aloft have a way with words and it shows on this album, the theme running throughout that you should definitely remember you’re alive and you should act like it, the band bringing an uplifting vibe to this album that really works with the melodies on this record. On tracks such as The Truth Is Out There in particular, the band really harmonise with that bounce of the guitars, something that is consistent throughout this record.
Guitars are essential to the energy brought on this album and that is just fine, throughout this album that frantic energy really drives home those raw punk sounds, songs such as title track What A Time To Be Barely Alive and Voyage Of The Dawndreaders which follow one another this record are great examples of this and with the drum runs, the rhythm section on this album is on fire throughout this album. It’s a powerful record and it’s made that way by the raw emotion throughout it.
This band have made a great album, being able to make something here that really accentuates their strength, no matter the pace on this album, tracks such as Hollowlujah! Which is more than a just clever title but a nice acoustic track that breaks up this album. There are plenty of highlights throughout this record and a real purity to the sound that makes it a great punk album, The Truth Is Out There, Hollowlujah! and I Want To Be Leaves are tracks that stood out to me.
9/10.
Thinking Lyrically. 