I always find it odd when the epilogue on an album is one of its most memorable tracks. Epilogues are thematic conclusions, often a rough sketch of the predominate elements of that collection of songs. Much like the throw away intro track, this is stage setting music, or at least it can often be. The Weakerthans had a perfect prologue/epilogue combo on Reconstruction Site that lent the album a feeling of cohesiveness and further emphasized the loose but present narrative structure. I would hardly label those songs as throw away songs. One of my favorite tracks on The Carter II is "Fly In," one of several variations Wayne does on the same hook and beat through out the album. So there are exceptions, but they seem few and far between.

The Receiving End of Sirens aspired to produce a cohesive and progressive album on Between The Heart and the Synapse, and the album feels like a complete work instead of a collection of songs, but it falls short in other areas and thus never fills out its packaging. However, the album's epilogue, fittingly titled "Epilogue," is draped in brilliant, glowing melodies over a full post-hardcore breakdown, equipped with somber lyrics and accompanying instrumentation as an accent. It is a lot of fun to listen to because it so concisely captures the feel of the album and, to a greater extent, that band. It's pretty amazing how effectively they convey their ideas.

The main lyric in "Epilogue" is also a refrain from one of the earlier tracks on the album (how's that for planning) so I've posted both here. If you are as big a nerd as I am about album planning, you'll understand.

The Receiving End of Sirens - "Epilogue"
The Receiving End of Sirens - "Planning a Prison Break"