The Lawrence Arms – The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Lawrence Arms are back with their second release on Fat Wreck Chords, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”. This clever punk rock three piece from the Windy City has created a 14 track CD (well only 12 tracks technically since there is a introduction and a outro) for everyone to enjoy. It is really a step up above their last release.

The best thing about this album is the variety. Each song has something different which makes it so the songs never get repetitive and boring. Each song could be a fast paced, short minute to two minute song like “On With The Show” or “Hesitation Station” or it could be slightly slower but with harsh, gravelly vocals by Brendan like the tracks “The Ramblin’ Boys Of Pleasure” and “Alert The Audience”; or even a track with more smooth, clean, melodic vocals by Chris like “The Raw And Searing Flesh” and “A Wishful Puppeteer”. These three variations in song styles create a CD that is constantly interesting.

The lyrics are also quite powerful and interesting, well worth a read. With lyrics like:
“A million times a day, I try to fail or fail to try” and “Transformation is a dream. Love what you are, not what you would like to be”, you can feel a sense of respect for the trio. A little added bonus are the footnotes which appear in the lyric booklet. When you flip to the end of the book, Brendan and Chris explain their lyrical choices and what it means. It is very informative and opens you to the world of the Lawrence Arms and their creative ways. It also shows that they put a lot of thought into what they create, and not just speed through it.

The newest release to hit the selves from the good people at Fat Wreck Chords is definitely one you should check out. There is not one weak song out of the 14 tracks and is just an excellent CD overall.