Fucked Up: David Comes to Life

Label: Matador

One of the most remarkably thought-out and heartful rock records of the year will probably be skipped over by a lot of people for either the band's name or its frontman's perpetually shouted vocals. Behind the noise -- and Fucked Up, Canada's best rock band, makes a lot of fantastically beautiful noise, with triple-guitar oomph and even more ringing melody -- is depth that most bands just don't care to engage with. For those who can listen past the endless growling of the brainy, brawny Pink Eyes and hear the disarming story of this 78-minute opus -- just a love story, really, with everything, I mean everything that goes with it -- David Comes to Life will be one of the records of the year. "Happiness always comes with a price," says the band, as a subtitle to the lyrics (on their website) of "The Other Shoe," and rarely has a rock band gotten so inside of it all. "We're dying on the inside" chimes guest singer Madeline Follin of Cults on this song, providing a valuable counterweight to Pink Eyes. They called themselves Fucked Up perhaps through punk impulse, but I think they're just trying to get at the truth of things, such as is possible. Massive album, great band. Fans of the Ex, Titus Andronicus and any punk-rock band that just transcends the form -- check this out.