- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: Further Seems Forever
Album: Penny Black
Label: Rise Records
Playtime: 36:49 min
Genre: Rock
URL:
Rip date: 2012-10-19
Street date: 2012-10-23
Size: 59.42 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 214 kbps / 4410Hz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
In a desperate attempt to stay relevant, FSF puts out a new album with
original lead singer Chris Carabba. Didn't think it worked too well, 2/5...
"For a band that had early associations with that much-maligned, so-called
genre of emo, Further Seems Forever have come a long way. Penny Black is a
riveting, engaged, and entirely involving record that screams of maturity and
focus. The steely grey resignation in Chris CarrabbaÆs voice is testament to
this, as he anchors each song with a grim and earthy demeanour, speaking
frankly of inner turmoil and persecutions while also reserving a softer side
for eerie explorations of weakness. ItÆs a sublimely together record,
confident in its sound and exhilarating in its enthusiasm. The subject matter
isnÆt always upbeat or heartwarming, but thereÆs something incredibly alluring
about the realness of it all. ItÆs vivid and alive and unafraid to confront
real inner demons and ghosts in its songs.
Most of the material on here charts a similar path. The music is, generally,
quite harangued and anxious, flitting from more reluctant moments to intense
and sprawling choruses. It complements and enhances CarrabbaÆs voice, which
has a frazzled sense of desperation throughout. The air is very much one of
difficulty, with all songs managing to reflect a certain kind of panic or
loss. This in turn makes the slower, pensive tracks all the more striking.
After the grainy intensity of the albumÆs first half, ôA System of Symmetryö
is almost haunting in its simplicity and elegance. The instruments are slower
and distracted, giving the song a methodically suspended atmosphere. The
percussion acts as a harsh reminder of scale and sound, crashing noisily off
the frozen locales elsewhere. The band make excellent use of effects here,
adding a spiralling sequence of notes at certain intervals as if to lend
credence to the lost and confused state evoked by the lyrics. Both this and
ôOn the Outsideö have a faint sense of the spiritual to them, in keeping with
the bandÆs early Christian affiliations. The repetitious chorus creates a
sense of idolatry, as though the words are being chanted as opposed to sung.
ôOn the Outsideö is sweeping in its distant sadness also. It bemoans broken
promises and seems removed and resigned, yet features a caustic and bitter
chorus with harsher vocals. It captures the hopelessness in the same light it
does anger, earning kudos for the bandÆs skill and careful interpretation.
Penny Black has a cyclical character, as the quandaries evinced in opening
track ôSo Coldö reappear much later in ôStem the Loss.ö Both of these songs
have a sense of isolation to them, particularly the former, which suggests a
deliberate estrangement from something that brings pain and distress. ôStem
the Lossö is more upfront and direct however. Fiery and troubled, it is as
tough and enduring as the overture but grapples more openly with its emotions.
The vocals, as elsewhere, are tremendous on both û travelling through plagued
and panicked to a kind of gnarled acceptance.
ThereÆs very little to dislike here. Penny Black is a staggeringly consistent
album, rooting everything in quite a firm-handed grip of the everyday and
implicit. ôRescue Trainedö is vast and overwhelming, embracing uncertainties
with as much fervour as it does determination and resolve. ôKingÆs Canyonö is
broad and commanding and very engaging. ThereÆs something very mysterious and
thought-provoking to its sensuous notes and steady rhythm. ôRusted Machineö is
one of the few slightly muddled, light-hearted tracks that err more on the
side of pleasant and affable. It seems deliberately dishevelled and embraces
its erratic rhythm with gusto. The ending transforms it entirely, coming out
with a tender and loving serenade. The final track continues on this
captivating note û ôJanieö is a humble, coursing track that begs indulgence
and forgiveness.
Penny Black may not be the most groundbreaking album in the world, but it is a
masterclass in complex, careful music. Its themes are intense and ubiquitous
and should appeal to everyone, framed as they are by a rigorous and
unrelenting musical will. This is one of the most harmonious and satisfying
listens youÆll have all year."
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. So Cold ( 3:17)
02. Rescue Trained ( 2:47)
03. Way Down ( 3:11)
04. Kings Canyon ( 3:20)
05. Staring Down the Sun ( 2:51)
06. A System of Symmetry ( 2:37)
07. Penny Black ( 3:19)
08. On the Outside ( 2:47)
09. Engines ( 2:31)
10. Rusted Machines ( 3:17)
11. Stem the Loss ( 3:02)
12. Janie ( 3:50)
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