User:Thomson200/David Comes to Life

David Comes to Life is the third full-length studio album by Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up. It was released on June 7, 2011 in North America and June 6, 2011 elsewhere on Matador Records in CD and double LP formats. David Comes to Life is an 18 song epic in four acts. It became Fucked Up's first charting album in the United States ranking at number 83 on the Billboard 200.

The album is a rock opera set in 1970's and 1980's England. The story is complicated with unreliable narrators, misdirections and meta-narrative plot devices. Drummer Jonah Falco described the album as a love story between the title character David and a girl named Veronica.

Recording
The character of David Eliade had appeared in previous Fucked Up songs such as "David Comes to Life" (from Hidden World) and "David's Christmas" (a 2007 single). The reason Fucked Up made the album a rock opera was to contrast rock opera's perception as being indulgent with the rawness of hardcore punk. The music was written before the either the lyrics and story were written.

On Record Store Day, Fucked Up released David's Town, a compilation of 11 songs purporting to be from bands in Byrdesdale Spa, the fictional town David Comes to Life takes place in.

Story
David Eliade is a factory worker in late 70's, early 80's England. David meets Veronica Boisson, an activist, and the two fall in love. Though David enjoys being in a relationship with Veronica, David starts to worry that something wrongs is going to happen. The two build a bomb as a form protest, but the bomb detonates, killing Veronica. David feels sorrow for spending time with Veronica, thinking that it was all a waste, something the narrator agrees on. David also feels guilty for causing Veronica's death.

The story then introduces an acquaintance of David named Vivian Boisson, who tells David that one should not trust narration. David then realizes that he is a character in a story, being controlled by Octavio St. Laurent, the story's narrator. David and Octavio fight for control over the plot, but David loses the fight and comes out feeling worse.

Vivian then reveals to David that Veronica died in a bomb blast, and that Octavio was the cause of Veronica's death. Octavius accepts that having Veronica die was wrong. However, Octavio defends his action, saying that because he was cast as a villain, he was merely doing his job and should not be blamed. Veronica's spirit returns to David and David realizes his time with Veronica was worthwhile. David, glad with his experience, returns to the factory to relive everything again.

Reception
David Comes to Life has received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregate Metacritic, the album has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "Universal acclaim."

Track listing

 * Act One: Love, then tragedy strikes the town.
 * 1) "Let Her Rest" – 3:23
 * 2) "Queen of Hearts" – 4:36
 * 3) "Under My Nose" – 3:29
 * 4) "The Other Shoe" – 4:57
 * 5) "Turn the Season" – 4:02


 * Act Two: David loses Veronica, and then himself, as he succumbs to guilt and despair.
 * 1) "Running On Nothing" – 4:46
 * 2) "Remember My Name" – 5:09
 * 3) "A Slanted Tone" – 3:40
 * 4) "Serve Me Right" – 3:49


 * Act Three: Another character is revealed, putting the responsibility for Veronica's death into question.
 * 1) "Truth I Know" – 4:33
 * 2) "Life In Paper" – 4:38
 * 3) "Ship of Fools" – 4:02
 * 4) "A Little Death" – 4:36


 * Act Four: A revelation from Vivian sheds more light on Veronica's death; Octavio and Vivian explain their motives, and David is reborn.
 * 1) "I Was There" – 3:19
 * 2) "Inside a Frame" – 4:18
 * 3) "The Recursive Girl" – 3:34
 * 4) "One More Night" – 5:36
 * 5) "Lights Go Up" – 5:30

Lineup

 * Pink Eyes – vocals
 * 10,000 Marbles – guitar
 * Gulag – guitar, vocals
 * Young Governor – guitar, vocals
 * Mustard Gas – bass
 * Mr. Jo – drums, guitar, keyboards

Guest Vocalists

 * Madeline Follin - Queen of Hearts
 * Jennifer Castle - The Other Shoe, One More Night, Lights Go Up
 * Kurt Vile - Lights Go Up