Armor For Sleep- There Is No Memory (Album Review)

During their original eight-year run, Armor For Sleep stood out amongst the hundreds of emo and alternative rock adjacent bands in the 2000s thanks to their incorporate of dream pop and other musical elements as well as an emphasis on cohesive lyrical concepts.  Dream to Make Believe and What to Do When You Are Dead had plenty of songs that stood the test of time, but like some of their peers it felt like the jump to a major label with 2007’s Smile for Them caused their unraveling.  While not a bad album by any means, it felt less connected thematically and was overly polished, and the group would disband a few years after its release.  When they finally returned in 2020, Armor For Sleep seemed genuinely rejuvenated and 2022’s The Rain Museum showcased this in multiple ways.  Back were the overarching concepts, and there was noticeable maturity to the songwriting.  It took a bit of time to get going but was an album I found myself returning to often.  Three years later album number five has arrived in the form of There Is No Memory, which continues to tweak the band’s established sound in meaningful ways.  Going for a more direct and bolder sound compared to The Rain Museum’s softer, introspective emphasis, There Is No Memory has more immediate hooks and showcases a band still at a peak level.

I didn’t mind the more subdued and calmer elements of The Rain Museum, but if you were missing some of the consistently high energy songwriting and louder moments this album is likely to stand out more from the get-go.  The first half in particular has one huge sounding track after the other, but stylistically they move between several different styles.  Opener “The Outer Ring” instantly grabbed me with its surprisingly heavier instrumentation and shimmering overlayed melodies, finding this sweet spot between post hardcore and alternative rock.  “Breathe Again” goes for a similar approach, bringing in even more of the dreamy sound Armor For Sleep was known for on their first two albums with a noticeably heavy low-end.  On the other end of the spectrum, “Maybe the Sky Will Break” cleans up the sound significantly with soft acoustic guitar and more polished pop hooks that are more emo and alternative rock in texture.  None of this is a huge leap from what the band has done before, but it feels like there’s even more depth to the way they layer things and things aren’t just gloomy and reflective the whole time.  Sometimes the melodies have a more somber and reflective tone, while other songs go for a much brighter and uplifting approach which shakes things up.  The second half of There Is No Memory does start to slow down a bit and orient itself towards some softer instrumentation which does make it stand out slightly less compared to the first, but highlights like “Ice on the Lake” and “Last Days” compelled me to listen all the way through rather than skipping around.

Ben Jorgensen’s voice has only seemed to get better with age, and while you won’t get some of the rawer pitches the first two albums offered at certain points the lyrics still provide plenty of that.  The way that the singing soars over the recording draws you in, and when the songs emphasize layered harmonies and more subdued, reflective tones on tracks like “In Another Dream” they showcase Armor For Sleep at their best.  Where The Rain Museum explored more of a fictional concept, There Is No Memory dives directly into Ben Jorgensen’s divorce and other tough periods over the past few years which definitely hits a bit harder, yet there are also bright spots alongside the instrumentation.  There are a lot of sections that stand out in both the verses and choruses, and the performance is appropriately emotional and raw while still showing the type of mature polish that the last album did.  Lyrics aren’t an aspect I focus on in every review since they’re so subjective to each listener, but they really add to the experience here and tie everything together.

The second half doesn’t quite reach the same highs as the first, but Armor For Sleep’s fifth album is still an engaging listen that showcases why they always stood out from some of the others in the genre.  Compared to The Rain Museum the writing is a bit more urgent and direct, plus the hooks sink in a bit faster, and while I enjoyed that effort quite a bit this one feels like it’s just a slight bit better.  It’s great to not only have Armor For Sleep back as an active band, but in just as strong a state as their earlier days.  There Is No Memory is available from Equal Vision Records.

-Review by Chris Dahlberg