a r t i s t : For Against
t i t l e : Shade Side Sunny Side
d a t e : 2008
l a b e l : Words On Music
c a t : WM25
s o u r c e : WEB
u r l : http://tinyurl.com/5sy4qg
g e n r e : Indie
r l s. d a t e : Apr/2008
t r a c k s : 09
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 68,7 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
Signposts: Factory Records, Joy Division, Section 25,
Interpol, My Bloody Valentine.
WORDS ON MUSIC is proud to release "Shade Side Sunny Side,"
FOR AGAINST's seventh full-length record and first studio
album since 2002. As the Lincoln, Nebraska trio approaches
their 25th anniversary on the independent music scene, FOR
AGAINST has reemerged with an exclamation point: "Shade Side
Sunny Side" is a landmark record for the band, boasting FOR
AGAINST's darkest (and loudest) material to date.
The post-punk roots of FOR AGAINST's early years are firmly in
place, but presented throughout 9 new songs with a more
expansive and atmospheric sonic palette. "Shade Side Sunny
Side" also marks the notable return of original FOR AGAINST
guitarist Harry Dingman III, who formed the band with vocalist
and bassist Jeffrey Runnings back in 1984. Dingman left FOR
AGAINST after 1988's seminal dream pop record, "December." For
the new album, the prolific Runnings-Dingman songwriting team
picks up right where they left off 20 years ago, when they
wrote the classic post-punk material that comprised
"Echelons," "December," and "In The Marshes" all within a
2-year span. "Glamour," the album's opening track, is a fierce
proposition that tours the early FACTORY RECORDS sound before
segueing into a cold post-punk stomp coated by Runnings' icy
vocals. Songs like "Underestimate" and the album closer
"Irresistible" sparkle with a pop grandeur hinted at by 2002's
"Coalesced" album, but infused with unmistakable guitarwork
revealing the fingerprints of Dingman's return: searing
feedback, atmospheric chord-play, and inspired hooks are
coaxed together to form a musical backbone that is both
furious and gorgeous. "Aftertaste" is a blistering song that
melds the musical sensibilities of JOY DIVISION's early WARSAW
years with production by MARC OSTERMEIER (SHOULD) hinting at
WIRE's "154." "Shade Side Sunny Side" also includes a cover
version of "Friendly Fires," written by Factory Records'
SECTION 25, from their 1981 debut "Always Now." "Shade Side
Sunny Side" also includes some of the most heartrending
accounts by Runnings to date. The album reveals itself as a
confessional and therapeutic musical diary, with several songs
recounting the tragic life and loss of a close family member,
from the acerbic "Glamour," to the haunting ballad "Why Are
You So Angry?," and culminating in "Game Over," where Runnings
is at his most defenseless, singing nakedly on piano through
the first verse and chorus.
FOR AGAINST's musicianship on "Shade Side Sunny Side" is in
top form, reflecting a maturity befitting their
quarter-century of songwriting and performances and a
freshness that has drawn together an interesting union of
dream pop enthusiasts in the USA and a strong darkwave
following in Europe.
_______________________________________________________________________
01-Glamour [06:14]
02-Underestimate [03:25]
03-Why Are You So Angry? [04:49]
04-Aftertaste [03:43]
05-Friendly Fires [07:36]
06-Game Over [07:39]
07-Spirit Lake [04:18]
08-Quiet Please [06:09]
09-Irresistable [05:53]
-------
49:46 min