What to Do When You Are Dead
{{good article}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name = What to Do When You Are Dead
| type = Album
| artist = Armor for Sleep
| cover = Evr104.jpeg
| alt = A body of a man floating above a series of houses against a green-tinted skyline
| released = February 22, 2005
| recorded = August–October 2004
| studio = Water Music and The Machine Shop, Hoboken, New Jersey
| genre = {{hlist|Emo|progressive rock|punk rock}}
| length = 44:15
| label = Equal Vision
| producer = Machine
| prev_title = Dream to Make Believe
| prev_year = 2003
| next_title = Smile for Them
| next_year = 2007
| misc = {{Singles
| name =
What to Do When You Are Dead
| type = studio
| single1 = Car Underwater
| single1date = May 3, 2005
}}
}}
What to Do When You Are Dead is the second studio album by American rock band Armor for Sleep. Following the completion of two songs written from the perspective of being dead, vocalist/guitarist Ben Jorgensen created a whole story from this viewpoint. What to Do When You Are Dead is a concept album, with each song telling the story of the aftermath of the protagonist's suicide and his journey through the afterlife. Recording took place between August and October 2004 with producer Machine. A rough mix of "Car Underwater" was made available in November, followed by two US tours in February 2005. What to Do When You Are Dead was released on February 22 through independent label Equal Vision Records.
Following a couple of US tours in April and May 2005, "Car Underwater" was released as a radio single. The group performed on the Warped Tour, before touring across the US in September and November. Later in November, a music video was released for "The Truth About Heaven", followed by a UK tour in December. In early 2006, the group went on a three-month headlining US tour, before appearing on Warped Tour again. What to Do When You Are Dead received mixed-to-favourable reviews and went on to sell over 200,000 copies. It peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on two other Billboard charts. To celebrate the album's 10th anniversary, the group played a series of shows in late 2015.
Background and recording
In February 2003, Armor for Sleep signed to independent label Equal Vision RecordsSciarretto 2003, p. 21 who released the group's debut album Dream to Make Believe in June that year. According to AllMusic biographer James Christopher Monger, the release gave the group "a solid spot" in the developing emo pop genre. This resulted in the group performing alongside Taking Back Sunday, Piebald and Thursday, among others.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/armor-for-sleep-mn0000929659/biography |title=Armor for Sleep {{!}} Biography & History |work=AllMusic |author=Christopher Monger, James |access-date=September 14, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012021323/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/armor-for-sleep-mn0000929659/biography |archive-date=October 12, 2016 }}
What to Do When You Are Dead was recorded between August and October 2004 at Water Music and The Machine Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. Producer duties were handled by Machine. Frontman Ben Jorgensen recorded his rhythm part first, followed by drums, then guitarist PJ Decicco tracked his lead parts and additional rhythm parts, ending with the bass lines. Decicco said that Machine felt that the bass needed to be recorded last because it goes out of tune quicker "so he has more of a reference to kind of hear things if he has them with the guitars already".
According to Decicco several different guitars were using during the recording process: a Gibson Les Paul Custom for the main rhythm tracking, as well as a Fender Telecaster Thinline and a Fender Telecaster Deluxe. Bogner Ecstasy and Marshall JCM800 amplifiers were used for most of the rhythm sections, as well as an Orange amplifier occasionally for octave parts. Decicco used the Delay Modeler Line 6 and Big Muff effects units.{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/armor_for_sleep_guitarist_new_record_to_be_a_little_more_real_world.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614192739/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/armor_for_sleep_guitarist_new_record_to_be_a_little_more_real_world.html|title=Armor For Sleep Guitarist: New Record To Be 'A Little More Real World'|publisher=Ultimate Guitar Archive|author=Rosen, Steven |date=June 28, 2006|archive-date=June 14, 2017|access-date=April 26, 2017}} Machine then engineered and mixed the recordings. Additional engineering was performed by Jacob Nyger. Will Quinnell mastered the album at Sterling Sound in New York City.
Composition
After completing the first demos for the album, Jorgensen planned to rewrite the lyrics to be less death-centric. For a while, he was unable to write anything else but from the perspective of being dead. While at a bookstore, he came across guides written for ghosts. He saw it as epiphany, "pointing me in that direction [writing about death]."{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/03/20/death-sounds-ok-to-them/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023182947/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-03-20/news/0603200262_1_armor-afterlife-sleep|title=Death sounds OK to them|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Newsday|date=March 20, 2006|archive-date=October 23, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=June 1, 2019}} Around this time, Jorgensen was going through a break-up of his "first real relationship," combined with the two years of touring with the group "...It was a very transitional period, and all those emotions converged."{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/teaneck-native-and-lead-armor-singer-reflects-on-a-pivotal-album-1.1409852|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019203418/http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/teaneck-native-and-lead-armor-singer-reflects-on-a-pivotal-album-1.1409852|title=Teaneck native and lead 'Armor' singer reflects on a pivotal album |work=North Jersey|author=Aberback, Brian|date=September 15, 2015|archive-date=October 19, 2015|access-date=September 18, 2016|url-status=dead}} He initially composed the songs before showing them to the rest of the band; writing the lyrics in isolation. He later pondered that he should've "asked for help but it was something I wanted to be from me completely".{{cite web|url=http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/armor-for-sleep-2005-week-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead |title=Armor For Sleep's 'What To Do When You Are Dead' Ten Year Retrospective |work=Noisey |publisher=Vice |author=Hill, John |date=September 15, 2015 |access-date=July 27, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407071727/http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/armor-for-sleep-2005-week-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead |archive-date=April 7, 2016 }} According to Decicco, every song on the album is in Drop D tuning, often incorporating a ninth chord, which gave a "super rich" sound. Monger classed the album's sound as emo and punk rock, while Jason Notte of the Colorado Springs Independent said it toyed with progressive rock.{{cite web|url=https://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/drive-in-drive-out/Content?oid=1142506|title=Drive In, drive out|work=Colorado Springs Independent|author=Notte, Jason|date=March 20, 2008|access-date=July 20, 2020|archive-date=July 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720175035/https://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/drive-in-drive-out/Content?oid=1142506|url-status=live}}
What to Do When You Are Dead opens with "Car Underwater", where the narrator sings about crashing into a lake and entering the afterlife.{{cite web|url=http://www.mammothpress.com/index.php?area=readinterview&pid=47|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611210853/http://www.mammothpress.com/index.php?area=readinterview&pid=47|title=Interview with Armor For Sleep's Ben Jorgensen|publisher=Mammoth Press|author=Dore, Sean-Michael|date=January 18, 2004|archivedate=June 11, 2007|accessdate=November 23, 2021}} With "The Truth About Heaven", the group were unsure how to go into the first verse until Jorgensen came up with a single-note line that both he and Decicco liked. The line was recorded as an overdub using a separate guitar. Decicco said the group wanted "Remember to Feel Real" to "just have it start and ... kick your ass". The pre-chorus riff was written by Jorgensen and Decicco while on tour. The bridge in "Stay on the Ground" features a flange effect, which was written by Decicco and played through a Line 6 Pedal. Jorgensen came up with a keyboard part, which he wrote a song around that became "A Quick Little Flight".
"The More You Talk the Less I Hear" started out under the name "Storm" because the group wanted to incorporate "something with a real-life feel of a storm in it", according to Decicco. He said Machine came up with the idea of making the song "seem like it got all lo-fi ... like you were listening to it from the inside of a car." The "heart" of "Basement Ghost Singing" was built around Jorgensen playing with a Line 6 pedal, according to Decicco. The track included a mixture of real drums as well as drum loops. The intro to "Walking at Night, Alone" uses a blend of acoustic and electric guitar. The idea for this came from Machine; it was originally only acoustic guitar until he wanted Decicco to play the part on electric guitar as well. Decicco said this was so that Machine could treat it as a bass.
Concept and booklet
AXS writer Terrance Pryor considers What to Do When You Are Dead a concept album centered around the protagonist's death and his subsequent journey in the afterlife.{{cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/news/armor-for-sleep-announce-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead-10-year-annivers-61546 |title=Armor For Sleep announce 'What To Do When You Are Dead' 10 year anniversary tour |work=AXS |author=Pryor, Terrance |date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927153212/http://www.axs.com/news/armor-for-sleep-announce-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead-10-year-annivers-61546 |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }} Some observers have noted the character going through the Kübler-Ross 5-stage model of grief management. Jorgensen grew up in a "very scientific environment." He was influenced by British writer Craig Hamilton-Parker. The album's title comes from a Hamilton-Parker book. Jorgensen explained that since he was in the process of writing a record in that manner, upon seeing the book, he thought it would be interesting making a record out of it. Jorgensen later remarked that placing himself in that perspective helped him approach a number of situations he would have been afraid to tackle if he didn't pretend he was dead.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/armor_for_sleep_are_fucking_dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614192739/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/armor_for_sleep_are_fucking_dead|title=Armor For Sleep Are Fucking Dead|work=Exclaim!|author=Sutherland, Sam |date=January 1, 2006|archive-date=June 14, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2016}} The band were initially hesitant working on a concept album until they were persuaded by Jorgensen.
The album's artwork features a Six Feet Under-esque image of a person hovering above suburban houses. The booklet features images of a man in a suit flying around and passing through walls, which, according to LAS Magazine writer David Spain, helps to immerse the listener by connecting the music and lyrics into the record's concept. The booklet was created by Rob Dobi, with art direction from Jorgensen and Asterik Studio, which also designed the booklet. Dave Hill contributed photography. Spin writer Will Hermes noted the album booklet's Hipgnosis-styled layout as being "an important part" of the album. Jorgensen revealed that one of the reasons Armor for Sleep signed to Equal Vision was the label's inclination to satisfy the group's creative vision.Hermes 2005, p. 88
Release
In October 2004, Armor for Sleep toured with the Academy Is...{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/10106/fueled-by-ramen-puts-new-the-academy-is-media-online|title=Fueled By Ramen puts new The Academy Is… media online|publisher=Punknews.org|author=White, Adam|date=August 30, 2004|access-date=October 28, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028154415/https://www.punknews.org/article/10106/fueled-by-ramen-puts-new-the-academy-is-media-online|url-status=live}} On November 3, 2004, What to Do When You Are Dead was announced for release in three months' time, and a rough mix of "Car Underwater" was made available for streaming through the band's PureVolume profile.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/10679/armor-for-sleep-posts-new-song|title=Armor For Sleep posts new song|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Shultz, Brian|date=November 3, 2004|access-date=October 28, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028213721/https://www.punknews.org/article/10679/armor-for-sleep-posts-new-song|url-status=live}} In early February 2005, the band went on tour with Something Corporate, Straylight Run, and the Academy Is... Later in the month, the group toured with Recover, Say Anything, and Case Pagan.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefader.com/2005/02/01/armor-for-sleep-launch-us-tour |title=Armor For Sleep Launch US Tour |work=Fader |author=Adams, Chip |date=February 1, 2005 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130124847/http://www.thefader.com/2005/02/01/armor-for-sleep-launch-us-tour |archive-date=2016-11-30 }} What to Do When You Are Dead was released through Equal Vision Records on February 22.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/what-to-do-when-you-are-dead-mr0000849400 |title=What to Do When You Are Dead - Armor for Sleep {{!}} Release Info |work=AllMusic |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013223220/http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/what-to-do-when-you-are-dead-mr0000849400 |archive-date=October 13, 2016 }} Some copies of the album included a bonus DVD that contained live footage, a documentary on the creation of the album, as well as music videos for Dream to Make Believe songs "My Town" and "Dream to Make Believe". The iTunes edition of the album included "Very Invisible" as a bonus track.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/what-to-do-when-you-are-dead/493466521 |title=What to Do When You Are Dead by Armor for Sleep |work=iTunes |date=22 February 2005 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121094218/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-to-do-when-you-are-dead/id493466521 |archive-date=January 21, 2016 }} On March 18, a music video was released for "Car Underwater".{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20071005211943/http://www.absolutepunk.net/ |title=New AFS Video |work=AbsolutePunk.net |publisher=SpinMedia|author=Wells, TJ |date=March 18, 2005 |archive-date=October 5, 2007 |access-date=September 19, 2016 |url-status=dead }} In April, the group went on tour with The Starting Line, Mae, and Suicide Pack. Following this, the group went on tour in April and May with The All-American Rejects, and Hellogoodbye.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2005/03/31/armor-for-sleep-continues-tour |title=Armor For Sleep Continues Tour |work=Fader |author=Adams, Chip |date=March 31, 2005 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002441/http://www.thefader.com/2005/03/31/armor-for-sleep-continues-tour |archive-date=March 5, 2017 }} "Car Underwater" was released as a radio single on May 3.{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 |title=FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock |publisher=Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142732/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16771 |archive-date=March 22, 2013 }}
Armor for Sleep performed on the West Coast and Midwestern dates of the Warped Tour in June and July 2005 after Midtown cancelled their appearances.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/12116/warped-tour-stage-lineups-announced|title=Warped Tour stage lineups announced|publisher=Punknews.org|author=White, Adam|date=April 2, 2005|access-date=October 31, 2021|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031083939/https://www.punknews.org/article/12116/warped-tour-stage-lineups-announced|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/12118/midtown-cancels-most-warped-tour-appearances-recording-this-summer|title=Midtown cancels most Warped Tour appearances, recording this summer|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Paul, Aubin|date=April 2, 2005|access-date=October 31, 2021|archive-date=April 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424121809/https://www.punknews.org/article/12118/midtown-cancels-most-warped-tour-appearances-recording-this-summer|url-status=live}} Following this, they toured with From Autumn to Ashes, Emanuel, and Biology in September.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/13771/media-from-autumn-to-ashes-releases-new-download-latest-tour-dates-with-armor-for-sleep-emanuel-biology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614192739/https://www.punknews.org/article/13771/media-from-autumn-to-ashes-releases-new-download-latest-tour-dates-with-armor-for-sleep-emanuel-biology|title=From Autumn to Ashes releases new download, latest tour dates with Armor for Sleep, Emanuel, Biology|work=Punknews.org|author=Paul, Aubin|date=September 12, 2005|archive-date=June 14, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2016}} On October 18, "Very Invisible" was made available for streaming via the band's PureVolume account.{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/ |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20071005211943/http://www.absolutepunk.net/ |title=Armor For Sleep Are Very Invisible |work=AbsolutePunk |publisher=SpinMedia |author=Giaramita, Frank |date=October 18, 2005 |archive-date=October 5, 2007 |access-date=February 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }} In November, the band toured across the US with Matchbook Romance,{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_63 |title=Armor For England |work=Alternative Press |date=October 20, 2005 |access-date=June 24, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815230814/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_63 |archive-date=August 15, 2016 }} Lovedrug and Gatsbys American Dream.{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_110 |title=Aaaah! Real Monsters! |work=Alternative Press |date=November 1, 2005 |access-date=June 24, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816001944/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_110 |archive-date=August 16, 2016 }} A Comprehensive Guide to Touring, the band's first video album, was released during this; it documented the initial tours supporting the album.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/14232/armor-for-sleep-dvd-details|title=Armor for Sleep DVD details|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Paul, Aubin|date=October 26, 2005|accessdate=November 20, 2021|archive-date=November 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120223328/https://www.punknews.org/article/14232/armor-for-sleep-dvd-details|url-status=live}} A music video for "The Truth About Heaven" was made available via MTVU on November 23. Directed by Alan Ferguson, it features a dead person "looking back on his loved ones," according to AbsolutePunk.{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=97758 |title=Armor For Sleep On mtvU/Advanced Warning |work=AbsolutePunk |publisher=SpinMedia |author=Giaramita, Frank |date=November 23, 2005 |access-date=February 16, 2017 }}{{dead link|date=August 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The band then went on a tour of the UK in December with Chiodos.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/14369/tours-chiodos-armor-for-sleep-to-visit-uk-in-december|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614192739/https://www.punknews.org/article/14369/tours-chiodos-armor-for-sleep-to-visit-uk-in-december|title=Chiodos, Armor for Sleep to visit UK in December|work=Punknews.org|author=Paul, Aubin|date=November 5, 2005|archive-date=June 14, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2016}} From late January to mid-March 2006, the group went on a headlining tour of the US, dubbed The Invisible Sideshow Tour, with support from Boys Night Out, Chiodos and Action Reaction.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2006/01/09/armor-for-sleep-headline-invisible-sideshow-tour|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614192739/http://www.thefader.com/2006/01/09/armor-for-sleep-headline-invisible-sideshow-tour|title=Armor For Sleep Headline Invisible Sideshow Tour|work=Fader|author=Adams, Chip|date=January 9, 2006|archive-date=June 14, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2016}} Following this, they appeared at The Bamboozle festival, and went on the Warped Tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_523 |title=Warped Tour confirms tour routing, venues, more bands |work=Alternative Press |date=March 2, 2006 |access-date=July 19, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821115033/http://www.altpress.com/index.php/news/entry/archive_523 |archive-date=August 21, 2016 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/15363/bamboozle-2006-lineup|title=Bamboozle 2006 lineup|publisher=Punknews.org|author=Paul, Aubin|date=January 23, 2006|accessdate=November 23, 2021|archive-date=November 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123193500/https://www.punknews.org/article/15363/bamboozle-2006-lineup|url-status=live}} A music video for "Remember to Feel Real" was posted on YouTube on June 6, 2006.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2U9u63mIXQ |title=Armor For Sleep - Remember To Feel Real (Official Music Video) |publisher=YouTube |author=Equal Vision Records |date=June 6, 2006 |access-date=April 26, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024054537/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2U9u63mIXQ |archive-date=October 24, 2013 }} A remix of the track was included on the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack, released in August.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1536196/snakes-on-a-soundtrack-samuel-l-jackson-film-nabs-fall-out-boy-panic-cee-lo/ |title=Snakes On A Soundtrack — Samuel L. Jackson Film Nabs Fall Out Boy, Panic!, Cee-Lo |work=MTV |author=Montgomery, James |date=July 12, 2006 |access-date=July 22, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303035729/http://www.mtv.com/news/1536196/snakes-on-a-soundtrack-samuel-l-jackson-film-nabs-fall-out-boy-panic-cee-lo/ |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev2 = The Boston Phoenix
| rev2Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/otr/documents/04644032.asp|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050428070331/http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/otr/documents/04644032.asp|title=Armor for Sleep What to Do When You Are Dead|work=The Boston Phoenix|author=Sands, Ian M.|date=April 29 – May 5, 2009|archivedate=April 28, 2005|accessdate=February 20, 2023}}
| rev3 = Drowned in Sound
| rev4 = LAS Magazine
| rev5 = Melodic
| rev7 = Now
| rev8 = Ox-Fanzine
| rev9 = Stylus Magazine
| rev10 = Yahoo! Music
}}
=Critical response=
Critical reception of What to Do When You Are Dead was varied. AllMusic reviewer John D. Luerssen wrote that the record "ups the punk/emo ante" with "fabulously" composed songs, as well as a yearning to tackle the "norms of a movement that has grown increasingly stale". He described Jorgensen as going "dark" and toying with "his inner Aaron Lewis", frontman for Staind. Luerssen described the band's choice of working with Machine as "a risk that paid off". Chart Attack called the album a "surprisingly meaty" second record, with the group's "dynamic double-guitar attack" benefiting from Machine's "prog-metal predilections".{{cite web|url=http://www.chartattack.com/news/2005/03/28/armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead/ |title=Armor For Sleep — What To Do When You Are Dead |work=Chart Attack |author=Chart Attack |date=March 28, 2005 |access-date=September 14, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012063355/http://www.chartattack.com/news/2005/03/28/armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead/ |archive-date=October 12, 2016 }} Chart Attack concluded with: "Songs about dead people have rarely sounded so damned full of life." Raziq Rauf of Drowned in Sound wrote that the record had two "great" songs which could "fill the unashamed emo cynic with hope, only to be let down" by the remainder of the album. He went on to say that a "slight redemption" could be made with the album's title, but aside from that, there was "nothing else to say that you've not read before". LAS Magazine writer David Spain called the album an "interesting notch along the battered branch of emo's legacy," with the band giving its contemporaries "food for thought". Spain noted that the group didn't simply intend on making "another 40-minute schmaltz fest; they vested thought and idea into their work". Spain concluded that the band "succeed[ed] in creating a surprisingly original work in a drowning genre".
Ian M. Sands of The Boston Phoenix wrote that the majority of it comes across as the "well-worn hand-me-downs of a previous owner; all the same, it’s refreshing to hear an emo band breaking out of the formulaic". Melodic reviewer Andrew Ellis felt little had changed since the group's debut album, aside from the "more edgy guitars ... the songs [don't] grab me at all". While mentioning "Basement Ghost Singing" and "Car Underwater", Ellis said the "great tunes are too few" to make him give the album a higher rating. Laura McKee of musicOMH considered the "brutal" sincerity of Jorgenen's lyrics a highlight, while mentioning that although the music might be generic, the group managed to make their mark in the "otherwise overcrowded industry" in terms of lyrics.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-youre-dead |title=Armor For Sleep – What To Do When You're Dead |work=musicOMH |author=McKee, Laura |date=April 25, 2005 |access-date=September 25, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927084735/http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-youre-dead |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }} Uthayashanker compared Jorgensen to Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey and was convinced she was listening to Brand New during "Stay on the Ground" and "Walking at Night, Alone". She said the group had created an album that "won't surprise but will certainly entertain". According to Now writer Jered Stuffco, Equal Vision was "banking heavily" on the band to accumulate strong sales, and based on the group's "poster-boy image, melodramatic harmonies and tight emo riffage," he felt they might succeed.
=Commercial performance and legacy=
What to Do When You Are Dead peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200, as well as charting at number 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and number 8 on the Independent Albums chart. By December 2007, the album had sold 220,000 copies.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/09peoplenj.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702014910/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/09peoplenj.html|title=Who Says You Can't Leave Home? Armor for Sleep|work=The New York Times|author=Gorce, Tammy La|date=December 9, 2007|archivedate=July 2, 2022|accessdate=July 9, 2022}}
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of What to Do When You Are Dead, the band performed a series of shows in September, October and December 2015, during which they performed the album in its entirety. In 2015, Maria Sherman of Fuse.tv wrote that the album set the blueprint for "future pop-punk bands to explore concept records in very real ways". Calling it "impressive at the time, this band from the suburbs [wrote] a power pop-punk record with a linear, intricate narrative".{{cite web|url=http://www.fuse.tv/2015/07/armor-for-sleep-reunion-shows |title=Armor For Sleep Announce 'What To Do When You're Dead' Reunion Shows |work=Fuse.tv |author=Sherman, Maria |date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=July 21, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514230954/http://www.fuse.tv/2015/07/armor-for-sleep-reunion-shows |archive-date=May 14, 2016 }} AXS contributor Tarynn Law wrote that "the instantly relateable tracks that filled What To Do When You Are Dead soundtracked the teenage angst of kids all around the country for years to come".{{cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/the-7-best-shows-in-los-angeles-this-week-12-7-12-14-71648 |title=The 7 best shows in Los Angeles this week: 12/7 - 12/14 |work=AXS |author=Law, Tarynn |date=December 5, 2015 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914185842/http://www.axs.com/the-7-best-shows-in-los-angeles-this-week-12-7-12-14-71648 |archive-date=September 14, 2016 }} Brian Aberback of NorthJersey.com noted that the album placed the band on the "indie-rock map and continues to resonate heavily with fans 10 years later". Jorgensen later called the album a "diary entry. Without that, I think a lot of people when [their] lives go on they forget what they went through at a certain point in time so for me that's the biggest markers for me to remember where I was at the point in my life."{{cite web|url=http://www.theaquarian.com/2015/09/16/an-interview-with-armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-you-come-back/ |title=An Interview with Armor For Sleep: What To Do When You Come Back |work=The Aquarian Weekly |author=Magid, Morgan |date=September 16, 2015 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702083418/http://www.theaquarian.com/2015/09/16/an-interview-with-armor-for-sleep-what-to-do-when-you-come-back/ |archive-date=July 2, 2016 }} NJ.com included the album at number 46 on the best New Jersey albums from the 21st century.{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2019/12/the-50-greatest-new-jersey-albums-of-the-21st-century-ranked.html|title=The 50 greatest New Jersey albums of the 21st Century, ranked|work=North Jersey|author=Olivier, Bobby|date=December 23, 2019|access-date=July 20, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111220631/https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2019/12/the-50-greatest-new-jersey-albums-of-the-21st-century-ranked.html|url-status=live}} As It Is frontman Patty Walters cited it as the biggest influence on their album The Great Depression (2019).{{cite web|url=https://www.hmv.com/music/my-record-collection-by-as-it-is-patty-walters|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918095550/https://www.hmv.com/music/my-record-collection-by-as-it-is-patty-walters|title=My Record Collection by As It Is' Patty Walters|publisher=HMV|author=Goodwyn, Tom|date=February 19, 2019|archivedate=September 18, 2020|access-date=June 12, 2022}}
The band will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album with a tour in March and April of 2025.[https://lambgoat.com/news/44803/armor-for-sleep-announce-what-to-do-when-you-are-dead-20th-anniversary-tour/ Armor For Sleep announce "What To Do When You Are Dead" 20th anniversary tour]
Track listing
{{Track listing
|all_lyrics=Ben Jorgensen
|all_music=Jorgensen & Armor for Sleep
|title0 = One Last Regret
|note0 = pregap hidden track
|length0 = 1:17
|title1 = Car Underwater
|length1 = 3:48
|title2 = The Truth About Heaven
|length2 = 3:30
|title3 = Remember to Feel Real
|length3 = 3:21
|title4 = Awkward Last Words
|length4 = 3:46
|title5 = Stay on the Ground
|length5 = 4:30
|title6 = A Quick Little Flight
|length6 = 2:12
|title7 = The More You Talk the Less I Hear
|length7 = 4:04
|title8 = Basement Ghost Singing
|length8 = 4:36
|title9 = Walking at Night, Alone
|length9 = 4:14
|title10 = I Have Been Right All Along
|length10 = 3:46
|title11 = The End of a Fraud
|length11 = 5:11
}}
{{track listing
|headline=iTunes bonus track
|title12 = Very Invisible
|length12 = 4:22
}}
{{track listing
|headline=15th anniversary vinyl reissue bonus disc{{Cite web|url = https://www.discogs.com/Armor-For-Sleep-What-To-Do-When-You-Are-Dead/release/15715233|title = Armor for Sleep – What to do when You Are Dead (2020, Clear w/ Blue & Green Splatter, Vinyl)|website = Discogs| date=July 31, 2020 |access-date = 2020-09-02|archive-date = 2021-07-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210725194413/https://www.discogs.com/Armor-For-Sleep-What-To-Do-When-You-Are-Dead/release/15715233|url-status = live}}
|title1 = Who's Gonna Lie to You
|note1 = What to Do When You Are Dead b-side demo
|length1 = 4:14
|title2 = Always a Wish
|note2 = What to Do When You Are Dead b-side demo
|length2 = 3:38
|title3 = Curse into a Blessing
|note3 = What to Do When You Are Dead b-side demo
|length3 = 4:09
|title4 = Standing Alone
|note4 = What to Do When You Are Dead b-side demo
|length4 = 3:48
|title5 = Never Had the Chance
|note5 = What to Do When You Are Dead b-side demo
|length5 = 4:36
|title6 = Car Underwater
|note6 = What to Do When You Are Dead demo
|length6 = 3:40
|title7 = The Truth About Heaven
|note7 = What to Do When You Are Dead demo
|length7 = 3:29
|title8 = Stay on the Ground
|note8 = What to Do When You Are Dead demo
|length8 = 4:30
|title9 = Dream to Make-Believe
|note9 = Dream to Make Believe demo
|length9 = 3:28
|title10 = All Warm
|note10 = Dream to Make Believe demo
|length10 = 2:52
|title11 = Slip Like Space
|note11 = Dream to Make Believe demo
|length11 = 3:46
}}
Personnel
Personnel per booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=What to Do When You Are Dead |others=Armor for Sleep |year=2005|type=Booklet|publisher=Equal Vision|id=EVR104}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
Armor for Sleep
- Ben Jorgensen – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
- Anthony Dilonno – bass guitar, backing vocals
- PJ Decicco – lead guitar
- Nash Breen – drums
{{col-2}}
Production and design
- Machine – producer, engineer, mixing
- Jacob Nyger – additional engineering
- Will Quinnell – mastering
- Ben Jorgensen – art direction
- Asterik Studio – art direction, design
- Rob Dobi – booklet
- Dave Hill – photography
{{col-end}}
Charts
References
Citations
{{Reflist|2}}
Sources
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite journal|last1=Hermes|first1=Will|title=Punk Floyd|journal=Spin|date=November 2005|issue=11|volume=21|publisher=SPIN Media LLC|location=New York City|issn=0886-3032|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PcKFY39WueAC&q=armor+for+sleep&pg=PT9|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2022-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612121349/https://books.google.com/books?id=PcKFY39WueAC&q=armor+for+sleep&pg=PT9|url-status=live}}
- {{cite journal|last1=Sciarretto|first1=Amy|title=Loud Rock|journal=CMJ New Music Report|date=February 10, 2003|issue=800|volume=74|publisher=CMJ Network, Inc.|issn=0890-0795|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjvGFinfJsYC&q=armor+for+sleep&pg=PA21|access-date=October 1, 2020|archive-date=June 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612121349/https://books.google.com/books?id=wjvGFinfJsYC&q=armor+for+sleep&pg=PA21|url-status=live}}
{{refend}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kZ-jKcPOarU-emxIijZ5ffulA5lVPtfXg What to Do When You Are Dead] at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
- [http://psychics.co.uk/shop/life-after-death.html What to Do When You Are Dead - the original book by Craig Hamilton-Parker on which the album title was based. book] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129021508/http://psychics.co.uk/shop/life-after-death.html |date=January 29, 2015 }}
{{Armor for Sleep}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Armor for Sleep albums