My Top 40 Albums - #22

#22
Ace Troubleshooter- "The Madness of the Crowds"

Year: 2002
Label: Tooth & Nail
Favorite songs: The Madness of the Crowds, Age of Gold, 2:00 Your Time, But For Grace, Numinous, Amanda
Lyric sample: "Silent as the grave / Covering deeds, covering man / Eyes that pierce and blaze / Wounded hands stretching out to save"

I think from here on out I'm just going to say "I love this album" and skip the elaborate descriptions.

Ha! You only wish you were that lucky. Ace Troubleshooter is my favorite pop punk band (yes, more than Relient K). Of course, only their first record was really punk all the way through. Madness contains certain elements of that, but it's rightly more pop rock. "Amanda" recalls their older style most - punchy powerchords and pounding drums being the meat and potatoes, though Ace here manages to throw in unexpected melodic twists with some satisfying harmonies which is certainly the case here. It's really the melodies that make this album stand out. "2:00 Your Time" might be similarly unremarkable if it weren't for that pitch-perfect blend of guitars with just the right amount of distortion and a simple but elegant melody. The opener and title track is the heaviest, most driving song and the one that will appeal most to punk fans. The rest of the record actually might lose them a little. Songs like "Have it All" and "Numinous" are much slower, bigger-sounding rock ballads that defy the genre but add some real depth and texture to the record.

The fun and variety of this album makes it stand out as Ace's best and most memorable. "But For Grace" might be one of the best songs of their career with its almost haunting, feedback-laden buildup, the pounding insistence of the rhythm section, the tension created by the distorted bends, and the overlapping chorus with its powerful word picture. I feel this style of song paved the way for some of the better tracks on It's Never Enough, such as My Defense. Another unusual song for them is the happy "Age of Gold" which features what is perhaps the first and only Ace guitar solo (admittedly played by one of the members' brothers). The record carries themes of ecstatic young love and the desire for freedom and adventure. "Age of Gold," "2:00 Your Time," "Let's Go Away" and others depict different aspects of this. I almost can't describe what exactly is so likeable about The Madness of the Crowds, but it has staying power with me. Maybe it just feels good, like an old couch that you sink into.

Edit: It would not surprise me to find out that the final song, "Your Reach" was written at the last moment because they needed a way to end the record. It feels a little rushed, without as much quality as most of the others.  HOWEVER, I just listened to the whole record and I would have no problem starting it again from the beginning. It's that good.