METROPOLE

The Lawrence Arms have earned their fanatical following through putting out some of the most inspired and innovative works of punk-rock of their generation. Metropole is no exception to this. It had been seven years sinse their last full length release and in the meantime singers and songwriters Brendan Kelly and Chris McCoughan had done extensive work with side projects the influences of which are prominent throughout this piece yet, it is very much a Lawrence Arms album: moody, poetic, sinsere yet, triumphant, dynamic and at times even comedic. This is one you want to listen to from start to finish as recurring themes show up again and again and the songs are more impactful in the context of each other. This is a band that has grown up with me..... the college age early twenty something "punk" may have a hard time relating to it but if trying to figure out what rebellion means in the context of new lines in your smile then this is one you simply can't not buy.

This album is just mind blowingly amazing My husband and I still haven't taken the cd out of the car since receiving. Love the band and all the other albums but this one just strikes a chord or many. They've grown as a band and people and it truly shows in the music. Only thing i regret was not knowing about the extended version first. Track 9 is the best on album in our house. but there's not a single track we don't love.

The album is great after listening to it a few times through. The Lawrence Arms sound on Metropole is similar to their younger days, but the lyrics and sound have a rawness to them. It is fitting for a fan that has been listening to these guys through the years. We have gotten older as fans and they as a band. This album really expresses that feeling of getting older. All their albums get me through the day. This one is no exception.

Another Classic! Eight long years since the lively and acclaimed "Oh Calcutta!", "Metropole" is a more sombering realization of getting older. This release is more of an ode to the city that raised them and all of its other inhabitants. They use clips and soundbites of everyday city noises throughout intros and outros. Lawrence Arms releases have always had their own theme and this is no exception. Don't get me wrong, this is another great release, but dont expect quite the intensity of "Oh Calcutta!" Signature Larry Arms grit and style are very present. I'm so excited they're back and hope its not so long before their next release!

I love this band. Their album _The Greatest Story Ever Told_ is singly responsible for my love of Russian literature. But, I was admittedly hesitant before I first streamed this album over at the a.v. club last week. Everything I'd seen and heard from it suggested to me that here was another sad old punk band cutting wax to pay for their kids' private school: the title is kind of bland, the artwork uninspiring, and the first single, "You Are Here," was good but not what I'm used to hearing from a band I've followed for over a decade. "Seventeener" gave me hope. Enough to overcome my doubts? Not really. Luckily, this album did not meet my reserved expectations. Rather, it gave them the bird as it shot past. I should have known better. The Lawrence Arms are very dedicated to their fans and to their music. They weren't going to put out a floater. In short: the Larry Arms are back and they're still excellent. I will say this, though: gave this one time. Several of the songs are more melodic and mature than those on _Oh! Calcutta!_, if that album's ferocity is your jam. The whole thing has a kind of reflective, somber air. Still, it feels representative of the band's entire history - side projects included. There's something here for partisans of all things Chris McCaughan/Sundowner as well as those who prefer Brendan Kelly at his most flippant.

If you've been a fan of The Lawrence Arms for the past 10 years or so, this record will probably resonate with you. Especially if you're over 30. Lots of mature, cathartic tracks about getting older and why it sucks, despite being inevitable. A classic album.

It has been a long, long time since I have listened to an album over and over again like I have with Metropole. This is The Lawrence Arms at their best. Apart from being an all around great punk record, Metropole has depth. While my favorite track is Acheron river, it says a lot that my favorite song from this album has moved around the more I listen. Buy this. Now.

there is a sad old man with a sad and saggy ass just a crying under the electric dryer for you hands he's wet he's dying and the spiders on his nose seem to indicated he's been keeping warm out in the cold and he's a lot like me I guess, but we're somehow not the same they say you really die the last time anybody says your name. there are no other poets anywhere near the LA for gander at the lowest lows in society painted with neon shine .

久々というだけで、まだリリースしてくれただけでも嬉しい。 ただ残念ながらサウンド部分ではあまり進化・深化は感じにくいです。シンプルな作りの曲が多い印象です。 sundownerやbrendanのソロでそれぞれアコースティックな傾向になり、 いくらかやさしい雰囲気の曲が増えていて、2人のコーラスワークへのこだわりが感じられます。 PVでも見られるSeventeener(17th and 37th)やBeautiful Thingsはシンプルながらメロディ際立つ良曲です。

Lawrence Arms habe ich das erste mal vor ca. 14 Jahren gehört. Seitdem begeleiter es mich. Begeistert war ich von Platten wie Guided Tour through Chicago oder The Greatest Story Ever Told. Zwischendrin gab es zuletzt ein paar schwächere Platten und nun beseitigt Metropole sämtliche Zweifel, die Jungs habens noch drauf.