Review: Armor for Sleep - Dream to Make Believe

artist: armor for sleep album: dream to make believe label: equal vision records released: 6/3/03 by: eduardo moutinho Armor for Sleep is one of those bands that leave you wondering “Why don’t people talk about these guys more often?” I absolutely love this band. They play some of the best sounding emo I’ve heard, and when I heard they came back together and signed a deal with Equal Vision Records, I was ecstatic. Their first release on Equal Vision, Dream to Make Believe, is out, and damn it, it’s about time these guys got some attention in the form of a review. These guys play pretty traditional-sounding emo. It’s a little heavier than some emo, but definitely not heavy enough to be called emocore. The music is simple and elegant. The guitars play clean melodies and slow-driving distorted segments, and the vocals are soothing and straightforward with lyrics following the frequently used mold of broken hearts and yearning for true love. While these things may not get you jumping for joy, they are what make Armor for Sleep so great. This band acts like a group of mages, casting a trance-inducing spell on all of its patrons. Listening to this record puts you in a lull, a good lull. You sit there, and all your worries float away, because the music does that to you. The love metaphors in the lyrics to “Slip Like Space” speak of launching into space, flying into a wormhole, and saying goodbye to your love before leaving. These metaphors plant vivid imagery in your head, helping solidify the spell. This kind of stuff is light, airy, and wonderful. Overall the record is solid, as the band re-recorded many of its songs from its self-titled EP and throws in some new ones. “Slip Like Space,” “Dream to Make Believe,” ”Wanderers Guild,” and “Raindrops” are some of my favorites. The recording quality of the CD is fantastic, as the levels are done just right. There’s a little more emphasis on the low-end sound, which really adds a nice edge to the music. The record sounds thick, which comes off pretty stellar. Like I said before, I don’t think this band receives the recognition it deserves. Hopefully, being on Equal Vision will help spread Armor for Sleep’s sound amongst the scene. People need to hear these guys. This release is a great first step for the newly reformed band, and I definitely have many of these songs on my current playlist because I enjoy them so much. favorite song: “wanderers guild” overall rating: 90%/100% listen to armor for sleep