Black Lungs - Send Flowers

  by Kelly Smith

published: 27 / 8 / 2008

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According to the press release, Black Lungs is the “soundtrack for punk rockers, hip hoppers, pill poppers, young ladies and show stoppers”. Young ladies? Sounds a bit tame. But I’m not old, and I’m definitely female, so this is possibly what I’ve been waiting for all my life. Black Lungs is the project of Alexisonfire vocalist/guitarist Wade MacNeill, but if you’re looking for the type of post-hardcore they’re renowned for you may find this a little off-putting. It’s not a million miles away in terms of all the music he has ever made, but it’s certainly not a direct comparison. In Black Lungs, MacNeill has managed to find a softer, more melodic band, one which knows how and when to turn it up, but who also doesn’t need to make a big deal of itself to hold your attention. It’s a quietly powerful record, and the inclusion of Sammi Bogdanski on piano is key to the sounds Black Lungs are producing. It would be difficult picking favourite tracks from this album. I love the simplicity of the beautiful chorus of 'When It’s Blackout', the jaunty anger of 'Hold Fast (Sink or Swim)', the quirky sentiment behind 'For Her', and sadness of 'So It Goes'. Each song is distinctive in its own right, but it all fits together perfectly. This album is full of the kinds of lyrics teenagers will want to use as their MSN names. You might see this as a bad thing – I think it’s brilliant. They are meaningful, and upbeat, and melancholy, and optimistic. “Wedding cake and toothache equals love and pain” from 'For Her' is the sort of bittersweet reflection found on many of the songs here, while 'Hold Fast', the first single, is an inspiring message to not waste time - “When tonight is over, yesterdays are all we got. I hope you made it count.” There really is nothing to dislike about this album, unless you’re particularly opposed to catchy tunes, beautiful lyrics and songs you find yourself singing hours after you’ve switched off iTunes. And if you are that person, I feel really bad for you. You’re missing out. I love Black Lungs, basically. And so should you.

Track Listing:-

1 A Blessing And A Curse
2 Fire And Brimstone
3 When It’s Blackout
4 Hold Fast (Sink Or Swim)
5 These Moments Define Us
6 For Her
7 So It Goes
8 Timeless
9 In Memory

Label Links:-

https://www.hasslerecords.com/Home
https://www.facebook.com/HassleRecords
https://twitter.com/hasslerecords
https://www.youtube.com/user/HassleRecords
https://plus.google.com/117258805116473350864
https://www.instagram.com/hasslerecords/

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