The Chemistry of Common Life
| The Chemistry of Common Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 7, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | January – June 2008 at Halla Music Studios and Central Audio Studios, Toronto | |||
| Genre | Hardcore punk, indie rock | |||
| Length | 52:20 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Jon Drew and Fucked Up | |||
| Fucked Up chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Alternative Press | |
| The A.V. Club | A |
| Blender | |
| Mojo | |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Pitchfork | 8.8/10 |
| Q | |
| Spin | |
| Uncut | |
The Chemistry of Common Life is the second full-length studio album by Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up. It was released on October 7, 2008, on Matador Records in CD and double LP formats and on Welfare Records in Reel-to-reel Audio Tapes. The statement on the label's site describes it as "an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living)".
The album is named after a book by James F. W. Johnston, which (among other things) describes hallucinogenic properties of mushrooms and plants. The title for the track "The Peaceable Kingdom" is taken from a famous painting by American folk-painter Edward Hicks. The cover art depicts the phenomenon of Manhattanhenge.
The album won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.