Emerging at the same time as bands like Silverstein and From Autumn To Ashes, Canada’s Alexisonfire made huge waves in the post-hardcore scene with their 20002 self-titled debut album. The band’s sharp-edged yet melodic take on the genre immediately paid dividends, yet their debut was only the beginning. On 2004’s Watch Out!, Alexisonfire would reach new heights simply by adding elements to an already brilliant musical formula.
Watch Out! was a quantum leap forward musically for Alexisonfire, but also from a songwriting and growth perspective. Dealing with more serious subjects this time around like drug use (“White Devil”) and the burden of success perhaps not being what you hoped for (“Happiness By The Kilowatt”), Alexisonfire really honed in on songs with maximum emotional impact for the listener. Tension is one of the best descriptors you could use for Watch Out! as a whole, as the album’s more melodic nature continually rams headfirst into the angular and caustic post-hardcore they’ve always been known for.
Who will keep me from lashing out? Anxiety chokes me like razor wire.
One of the biggest reasons Watch Out! succeeds on such a high level is because of the improved vocals from all three of the band’s vocalists. In particular, Dallas Green’s melodic vocals see a vast increase in usage, but they’re done strategically and not used as the sole focus of Alexisonfire’s then-developing sound. Rest assured that vocalists George Pettit and Wade MacNeil also play key roles in the album’s diversity, though they are dialed back depending on the song. Album opener “Accidents” is a good introduction, as its immediate yet push-pull nature and evolution from their previous material is quite impressive. Its anthemic nature also meant that you probably had it as your MySpace profile song at least once. Perhaps. Maybe. You also have songs like “Side Walk When She Walks”, where there’s basically no screaming at all, but they hit just as hard as the band’s heaviest material.
Of particular note is Alexisonfire’s exploration of more ambient and post-rock influences, which manifest themselves in the form of giving these songs space to breathe. A good example is the final minute outro of “Hey, It’s Your Funeral Mama”. Undoubtedly one that’s buoyed by their new influences, it also serves another purpose – effortlessly segueing into the intro of album highlight “No Transitory”. The latter’s start-stop dynamics make it a great transition (hah!) song to show Alexisonfire’s evolution in between albums, and intriguingly, it’s also one of the songs on the album that showcases some more metallic influences that might surprise a bit. In a good way, of course.
There’s a sense of urgency that’s palpable all over Watch Out!, from how it’s structured to even the themes it explores. Few songs are more indicative of both than album centerpiece “Sharks And Danger”, and few songs in the genre make as loud of a statement. With an intro that features a chilling phone call and an extended post-rock influenced section, it eventually explodes into a cavalcade of what could be best described as emotional release. Tracks like this were only hinted at on the band’s self-titled debut – “Pulmonary Archery” and “Polaroids Of Polar Bears” in particular – and thanks to the experience garnered from a couple years of hype and constant touring, they quickly became a household name. Of course, not every song is filled with serious subject matter – “Get Fighted” is filled with positivity and embracing living your life to the fullest.
On Watch Out!, you hear the sound of a young band growing up quickly. It’s hard to listen to the majority of this album and not think about how advanced Alexisonfire’s songwriting was just so far ahead of most bands at the time. Whether it’s the use of three distinct vocalists or vastly improved songwriting (that was already good to begin with), it’s not a surprise just how they became one of Canada’s premier heavy acts.
