Armor For Sleep, What To Do When You Are Dead

I really like Armor For Sleep — they manage to incorporate some of my favorite musical elements (infectious melodies, huge metallic guitars, and dark, introspective, sometimes morbid imagery) into a cohesive whole that works. That description might invoke memories of Hum for some of you; I find myself comparing Armor to Hum on a fairly regular basis. Not that they sound exactly alike, necessarily, but they definitely share the same spacey-rock spirit. With What To Do When You Are Dead, the Jersey boys take on a pretty massive task: that of making the concept album. Not only that, but a concept album based around the afterlife. Sounds like a pretty cool idea, does it not? Trust me, it is, and as soon as the band breaks out of the speakers on “Car Underwater,” you’ll be hooked for the duration of the ride. There are also some interesting ambient-type tracks (“Basement Ghost Singing” comes to mind) thrown in with the rockers to add a little flavor, but they fit right in with the grand scheme of things — think “Teenager” off of the Deftones’ White Pony. As much as I dig the album, though, my favorite part of the CD isn’t musical at all, it’s this neat little insert booklet included with the CD that gives you tongue-in-cheek tips on your life after death. What other band manages to rock you and give you helpful advice, all at the same time?