Armor For Sleep’s debut album, “Dream To Make Believe” had a polarized response. The band’s dreamy, laid-back indie rock was either despised or revered by fans and music critics alike.  It’s not like Armor For Sleep wanted to make things easier on their sophomore effort, “What To Do When You Are Dead”, attempting to tackle a concept album of sorts, which can be a daunting task.  Couple that with a noticeable change in sound, and the risks become that much greater.

“Car Underwater” begins the journey of someone who commits suicide and what ensues thereafter. The palm muted guitar part opens beneath the vocals of Brian Jorgensen who sings, “Believe the news, I’m gone for good.  Call off the search, no one will know I am down here.”  This is the basis for much of “What To Do When You Are Dead.”  The songs on this album differ from the previous effort in that they are much more poppier, rock oriented yet still maintain a dark overtone throughout.  “The Truth About Heaven” takes elements of what was good about the debut, makes them heavier, changes tempos, and is just a well-done rock song while the next few tracks tend to lose their allure after a few listens.  “A Quick Little Flight” takes an unexpected turn after a barrage of catchy rock songs. The keyboard driven track employs a drum loop, as Jorgensen bemoans, “Can you see me at all” and clocks in at just over two minutes before the album heads back in the previous direction.  “Basement Ghost Singing” utilizes delayed picking guitar parts and drum loops before the chorus hits with distorted guitars and the vocals.  “The End Of A Fraud” closes out the journey in one of the albums heavier moments in the choruses complete with an onslaught of distorted guitars and screaming vocals and also borrows parts of the bridge from “The Truth About Heaven” as Jorgensen claims, “Don’t believe that the weather is perfect the day that you die.”

It is interesting that Armor For Sleep decided to head in a more radio infused rock direction considering the content of “What To Do When You Are Dead.”  The artwork accentuates the story line, as the insert features the lyrics in the form of chapters in a book, and pictures show the man going through the different phases spoken of in the songs.  The story line remains intact for the most part; at times it can lose its effectiveness. The lyrics can come across as trite in some instances, but when taken in context of the story as a whole, they make more sense.  Armor For Sleep have not created new boundaries in rock music, but they have taken the simplistic elements of what made them good to make them that much better.