“Blisters and Coffee” by The Classic Crime, Saturday, November 18, 2023
The Classic Crime released their debut album Albatross in 2006 on Tooth & Nail Records. The album charted on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums charts, and the band quickly became connected with both the Christian and the pop-punk scene, touring with fellow Tooth & Nail acts, joining the Warped Tour, and forming friendships with the likes of Relient K and Emery. The band filmed a music video for the first track on the album, “The Fight,” which appeared on TVU. In 2006, Tooth & Nail was in the middle of its golden age. Albums were selling and bands were bridging the divide between Cornerstone and Warped Tour. The Classic Crime was supposed to be the label’s next big band, but Albatross didn’t meet the label or the band’s sales expectations.
OUT ON THIS LONELY LANDSCAPE I AM FINALLY FREE. The Classic Crime’s debut album, Albatross, was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette. The band would work with the Baskette on most of their albums until 2017’s How to Be Human. Baskette’s work as a producer began in 2003 with Puddle of Mudd. His production credits mostly include active rock bands such as Chevelle, Cold, and Alter Bridge; however, two years before producing Albatross for Tooth & Nail Records, Baskette produced Falling Up’s sophomore album, Dawn Escapes. The Classic Crime’s albums and especially Falling Up’s sophomore album seem to be outliers in Baskette’s discography. The Classic Crime, in particular, tends to be more associated with the late Emo scene. Lead singer and lyricist Matt MacDonald’s lyrics hint at a poetic influence. Songs like “Flight of Kings” and “Warrior Poet” paint images in the listener’s minds. While the album stays mostly electronic guitar-heavy, several sappy tracks are scattered throughout the record from “Who Needs Air?” to “All the Memories” to the album's closer “Headlights.”
DESPERATE WE WILL LIFT UP OUR HANDS. Reviews for Albatross were mixed. The album, however, wasn’t reviewed by any major publications. Christian music site Indie Vision Music gave the album a positive review as did Sputnik Music. However, JesusFreakHideout gave the album 2.5 stars out of 5, calling The Classic Crime “the Christian Fall Out Boy.” With later Classic Crime records, the website reviewed the band favorably with the exception of 2017’s BadChristian-released How to Be Human, which featured an f-bomb. With a glut of Christian-adjacent rock, Albatross speaks to a time when every record label was looking for their version of Anberlin and Tooth & Nail was hoping to replace the band when the band inevitably would sign with a major label. But calling The Classic Crime a direct copy of Fall Out Boy or Anberlin certainly doesn’t fit. Albatross is better than the JesusFreakHideout review suggests, but it’s probably not a record a lot of listeners are nostalgic for. The songs fit well on playlists when you are listening to the giants of the Tooth & Nail giants, but I don’t find myself returning to Albatross very often. It’s rougher than the polished Anberlin and Falling Up, but tame compared to the Underoath and Emery. But every now and then you want a few blisters with your coffee, letting out that teen angst.
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