Above the City (Smoke or Fire album)

Above The City is the debut album by American punk rock band Smoke or Fire, released in 2005.[2] It was produced by Fat Mike under Fat Wreck Records,[5] and was the band's first full-length album. Above the City has drawn comparison to Against Me! and Lawrence Arms, and has been called a "punching sincere punk rock album."[4] The album reached #62 in CMJ's "Radio 100" in 2005, spending at least 5 weeks on the list.[6]

Above The City
Studio album by Smoke or Fire
Released	March 22, 2005
Genre	Punk rock, pop punk, melodic hardcore
Length	24:06
Label	Fat Wreck Chords[1]
Producer	Fat Mike[2]
Smoke or Fire chronology
Worker's Union (2003) Above The City (2005) This Sinking Ship (2007)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Punknews.org	[4]

Critical reception

In a positive review, Style Weekly wrote that "these songs run on a maximum of speed and a minimum of time, half of them touring the landscape of America and the other half, the landscape of emotion."[7]

Track listing

All tracks by Joe McMahon

No.	Title	Length
1.	"California's Burning"	2:27
2.	"Filter"	1:51
3.	"Cops and Drugs"	1:29
4.	"Goodbye To Boston"	2:31
5.	"Culture As Given"	1:49
6.	"Delawhere"	1:29
7.	"Loving, Self-Loathing"	1:55
8.	"Fire Escapes"	1:38
9.	"South Paw"	1:49
10.	"The Hard Way"	1:50
11.	"Cryin' Shame"	2:44
12.	"Point Break"	2:20

Personnel

• Jeremy Cochran – guitar
• Ethan Dussault – engineer, mixing, audio production
• Fat Mike – producer
• Ryan Greene – mixing
• Ken Gurley – bass
• Adam Krammer – engineer, audio engineer
• Nick Maggiore – drums
• Joe McMahon – guitar, vocals
• Chrissy Piper – photography
• Brad Vance – mastering
• Winni Wintermeyer – design, photography

References

1. "Above The City". Fat Wreck Chords.
2. "Smoke or Fire | Biography & History". AllMusic.
3. Above the City. Allmusic.
4. Smoke or Fire: Above the City. Punknews.org.
5. Above the City. Billboard.
6. CMJ pg. 29.
7. "Now Hear This". Style Weekly.