Equal Vision Records
2006
The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years
About This Album
Unhappy with their previous home at Wind Up, post-hardcore stalwarts Boy Sets Fire seem to be settled in more comfortably at Equal Vision based on the evidence of The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years. A message in the liner notes, however, admits that this 2006 release was written "under great duress" and crazy times that had the band feeling unloved and "utterly alone." Amid the confusion, though, the message ends on a hopeful note, leading one to believe -- even before listening to the album -- that Boy Sets Fire have chosen to make an album mainly for themselves (read: watch for experimentation), which fans will hopefully in turn also enjoy. They have built a career on provocative, emotionally charged music with political overtones. And while missing the consistent hardcore punch of earlier work, the band further develops its smooth, melodic sense (coupled with an innate aggressive nature) to satisfying results on The Misery Index. Overall, the album showcases their distinct recipe for success, but with a much more eclectic feeling than previously. Gentle to raucous to manic to soothing, Boy Sets Fire (and Nathan Gray's ever-impressive range) are all over the place from song to song -- and often within the same song -- which results in many individual tracks actually sounding like separate songs sewn together.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 2,5,7 and 10)

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Disc 2

1.