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▓█▓▓█ Artist.....[ For Against ▀████▄█▓
██▓▀ Album......[ December ▀▓██
▄ █▓█ █ Label......[ Words On Music █ █▓█ ▄
█▒█▓█▄▀ Catalog #..[ WM16 ▀▄█▓█▒█
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▓█▀ ▀▀█▓█▒ Source.....[ CD ▒█▓█▀▀ ▀█▓
▓█▄ ▀▄ ██▓ Genre......[ Indie ▓██ ▄▀ ▄█▓
▓▓█▓▀ ██ Language...[ English ██ ▀▓█▓▓
▀ ▄████ Rip Date...[ 2005-10-25 ████▄ ▀
▄ ▀ ▓█▓ Store Date.[ 2005-09-00 ▓█▓ ▀ ▄
█▀▀ ▄▓█▀ Rip Tool...[ EAC ▀█▓▄ ▀▀█
▓█▄████▀ Encoder....[ LAME 3.90.3 --alt-preset standard ▀████▄█▓
▀█▓▀ Quality....[ 218 kbps AVG VBR 44.1/Joint Stereo ▀▓█▀
▄ █▓█▄▓█▓ Url........[ http://www.words-on-music.com ▓█▓▄█▓█ ▄
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█▓ 01 Sabres 3:26 ▓█
█▓ 02 Stranded In Greenland 3:12 ▓█
█▓ 03 Svengali 2:45 ▓█
█▓ 04 They Said 4:13 ▓█
█▓ 05 The Effect 4:43 ▓█
█▓ 06 December 5:08 ▓█
█▓ 07 The Last Laugh 4:30 ▓█
█▓ 08 Paperwhites 3:46 ▓█
█▓ 09 Clandestine High Holy 4:33 ▓█
█▓ ----- ▓█
█▓ 36:16 ▓█
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█░█ In 1988 For Against recorded the distinguished █░█
█░█ December album for Independent Project Records. █░█
█░█ December is a fan favorite and is unparalleled in █░█
█░█ the annals of post-punk for its unique blend of █░█
█░█ aggressive, atmospheric, melodic pop songs. The █░█
█░█ album is also now largely considered by critics █░█
█░█ to be a forerunner of the dream pop scene █░█
█░█ popularized in England just a few years later █░█
█░█ (i.e. Pale Saints, Ride, Kitchens of █░█
█░█ Distinction). █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ A hyper and ferocious rhythm section launches █░█
█░█ December with "Sabres" as drummer Greg Hill finds █░█
█░█ room for fills in spaces upon which most drummers █░█
█░█ would not even dare to encroach. Singer Jeffrey █░█
█░█ Runnings continues to intrigue by conveying his █░█
█░█ dark (and at times obscure) lyrics in a █░█
█░█ deceptively boyish delivery: "I'm not crying any █░█
█░█ more / I'm keeping you / I'm not wishing any more █░█
█░█ / I'm keeping you." █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Runnings' punctuated bass line propels the █░█
█░█ opening of "Stranded in Greenland," although by █░█
█░█ the second verse guitarist Harry Dingman's █░█
█░█ melodic patterns begin to take shape and weave █░█
█░█ ever more pronounced circles around the rhythms █░█
█░█ within. Runnings' chorus is a knockout punch, in █░█
█░█ spite ù or perhaps because ù of its simple, █░█
█░█ four-fold restatement of the song title, enhanced █░█
█░█ on the last delivery by Runnings' own delicious █░█
█░█ harmonies. The curious subject matter of the song █░█
█░█ compels the listener to consider if Greenland is █░█
█░█ in fact a metaphor ù perhaps for the band's █░█
█░█ native Nebraska? █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Hill's tom-tom rolls, complimented by Dingman's █░█
█░█ nimble repetitive picking intervals, help to █░█
█░█ insure "Svengali" recalls the best of Chronic █░█
█░█ Town-era R.E.M. The chorus breaks out into a more █░█
█░█ aggressive, classic For Against romp ù eighth █░█
█░█ note basslines, lush dreamy guitars, all speeding █░█
█░█ along at a breakaway clip. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ The pace slows a bit for "They Said," but █░█
█░█ Runnings' words come across as ever the more █░█
█░█ heartfelt. The vocals and Dingman's melodies █░█
█░█ alternately take center stage at the chorus, █░█
█░█ gracefully dipping in and out. The last chorus █░█
█░█ gives way to a bridge replete with █░█
█░█ orchestral-sounding 12-string sweeps that escort █░█
█░█ the song to its melancholic end. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Brooding elements from For Against's debut album █░█
█░█ Echelons remain, most evident in the prominent █░█
█░█ basslines of the 6/8-metered "The Effect." Echoed █░█
█░█ guitar work and repetitive Joy Division-esque █░█
█░█ basslines create a dark structure onto which █░█
█░█ Runnings' vocals and words are on display more █░█
█░█ than any other track. "And now you've got me █░█
█░█ lying down on the floor / To think that you're █░█
█░█ the one that I adored." █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Dingman's crushing, two-note melody lingers █░█
█░█ throughout the first few sparse minutes of the █░█
█░█ measured title track. But halfway through █░█
█░█ "December" Dingman turns to full-blown chords █░█
█░█ that resonate against Hill's accelerated █░█
█░█ drumming. Once Runnings delivers the last line, █░█
█░█ his melodic bass takes over the reigns like Peter █░█
█░█ Hook of New Order, until the song trails off into █░█
█░█ faded fragments. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Dingman's guitar work is on full display in "The █░█
█░█ Last Laugh" ù with scores of reverbed melodies █░█
█░█ and improbable harmonics. The alternating focus █░█
█░█ on Dingman's melodies and Runnings' vocals in the █░█
█░█ verses subtly demonstrates For Against's crafty █░█
█░█ and sophisticated musicianship. The chorus, █░█
█░█ however, is all Runnings ù with his gloriously █░█
█░█ shimmering voice perched atop the punchy █░█
█░█ basslines that anchor the song. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Hill's percussion and Dingman's harmonics add █░█
█░█ sparkling touches to the opening verses of █░█
█░█ "Paperwhites." The song contains one of the most █░█
█░█ memorable bridges on the album, with Runnings' █░█
█░█ haunting melodies giving way to a rare Dingman █░█
█░█ guitar solo. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ The album closes with the not-to-be missed █░█
█░█ "Clandestine High Holy" ù certainly one of the █░█
█░█ fastest, if not the most requested song in the █░█
█░█ For Against catalog. Dingman's guitar teeters on █░█
█░█ the edge of feedback throughout the intro while █░█
█░█ Runnings pounds out fierce basslines that would █░█
█░█ make Gang of Four blush. Ending the album in █░█
█░█ spectacular fashion, Dingman propels the band █░█
█░█ through a minute-plus coda with cascading chord █░█
█░█ progressions that simply bring chills to the █░█
█░█ spine. █░█
█░█ █░█
█░█ Words On Music's re-release of December has been █░█
█░█ remastered, includes two ultra-rare For Against █░█
█░█ videos, and is issued in a new six-panel digipak █░█
█░█ design from Bruce Licher. █░█
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▄▀▀██ 1way AMOK BCC BUTT CMS EGO ██▀▀▄
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▄ ░▒▓█████████▓▒░ ASCii By AyL!cRO 2oo5 ░▒▓█████████▓▒░ ▄
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