I'm voting "Very Good".
Alexisonfire isn't going to make another Alexisonfire, or even a Watch Out. They're going to continue to make more average punk-based stuff as opposed to the fairly complex and experimental post-hardcore music that they were once known for. That said, I can't help but enjoy (almost) everything they come out with. They finally sound comfortable with their music and it shows through the maturity of this album. I still miss the days of senseless shrieking and crude, unprofessional guitar solos, but Old Crows is what it is. It's a solid release and if Alexisonfire never releases another album, their discography will feel complete.
The main thing I'm happy about with this new album is that it's better than Crisis. Crisis saw the band often unsuccessfully trying to blend their old sound with the poppy sound that they were going for, and it didn't really work. I was very happy to hear some of that scattered melodic lead guitar that I loved on their first two albums, as well as some shrieked vocals. Speaking of vocals, I think their vocal arrangement is excellent on this album, George finally is singing!
On a minor note: one of the drawbacks of this album for me personally is that some of its social commentary goes against what I believe. Bad vibes man.
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