The Lawrence Arms 'Metropole' Proves Worth The Wait

By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 28, 2014 4:35PM

Today marks the first Tuesday in nearly eight years that record stores have a new full length from The Lawrence Arms on their shelves. Metropole is the first from the Chicago trio since their 2006 Fat Wreck Chords smash Oh! Calcutta! For weeks now, we've been reading about the new album, one that supposedly boasts an older, more matured version of the punk rock goofballs. We're not the type to be swayed by other reviews but we can't help but echo that sentiment after having heard Metropole ourselves.

Of course The Lawrence Arms camp isn't totally unrecognizable. Songs like "Drunk Tweets," a break-neck 85-seconds littered with F U's, and the music video for the lead single "Seventeener (17th and 34th)" remind us of their earlier, more rambunctious days.

However, the rest of the album moves swiftly with slick efficiency. We can't help but think that time isn't the only thing that's attributed to a sound that is as well-oiled as it's ever been. Sometimes side projects can be a bad sign for bands, but, in The Lawrence Arms' case, bassist Brendan Kelly and guitarist Chris McCaughan's pursuit of separate solo careers in the time since the last TLA release seems to have paid off for their collaborative songwriting.

Pick up the new album today online or at your nearest record store. If you're willing to brave the cold, get to Reckless Records' Wicker Park location (1532 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 6 p.m. for a special acoustic set from Kelly and encourage him not wait so long on the next TLA release.