Unicornography

by Corey AparThe Falcon are down to being a trio for their full-length Unicornography (the liner notes explain that the band simply couldn't find Todd Mohney), but not much else has changed in the two years that have passed since the release of their debut EP. The "let's grab a cold one and rock out" vibe is here intact, though the use of both acoustic and electric guitars, along with more mid-tempo numbers, does give the record a bigger sense of variety than before. Unicornography is as likable as a pop-punk record comes; fans have absolutely no reason not to eat this up and immediately demand seconds, and thirds. It's really no surprise that the Chicago crew has such a knack for crafting catchy little punk ditties that are melodic, raw and altogether fun -- after all, that's pretty much what their separate bands (the Lawrence Arms and Alkaline Trio) have been doing for years. Brendan Kelly's scrappy bark always sounds on the verge of collapse, but his efforts aren't for naught since he uses each line to make shrewd observations about life, society, religion and songs sucking on the radio (when all you wanna do is sing along!). But through it all -- and Kelly gets plenty of help along the way from an abundance of spirited backing vocalists -- the Falcon manages to simultaneously convey so much heart amid all the sarcastic spit that even the hastiest of songs emanate a certain sincerity that keeps the music from just merely being a drunken romp. The Falcon are experts at fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants punk -- it takes skill to make music this great seem so easy to do.