01. So Cold
02. Rescue Trained
03. Way Down
04. Kings Canyon
05. Staring Down The Sun
06. A System Of Symmetry
07. Penny Black
08. On The Outside
09. Engines
10. Rusted Machines
11. Stem The Loss
12. Janie

By Matt Jones

So, my mind was blown this week.

Because I don’t know anything about anything, I had no idea that Chris Carrabba was in a couple bands before Dashboard Confessional (again he goes unnoticed). One of those bands was a little alternative/emo outfit called Further Seems Forever. Although he was only with them for their first album, The Moon Is Down, the band went on to garner a respectable following, put out another couple of good releases, and break up in 2006. Well, fast forward to 2012 and Further Seems Forever are back together as a band with Carrabba again as their frontman. The results are in, and they are good.

What a difference 11 years makes!

I dunno, man. It kinda sounds like Dashboard just decided to go a little harder and run Carrabba’s voice through some weird filter, but it sounds awesome. Like, maybe The Dangerous Summer had some creative input on a Dashboard album. Or, like, the AFI kids in your high school (you know who I’m talking about) decided to grow up a little and go straightedge, and this is the music they listen to now.

Either way, I’m all over it. “So Cold” and “King’s Canyon” are pretty much the runaway favorites here. They go well with nippy breezes and scarves.

Angst, angst, angst, guitars, vague symbolism. Gah I love it.

All I can say is that if you like what you hear, you’re going to love the rest of the album. It’s a little front-loaded, but that’s a small price to pay for the triumphant return of FSF with CC at the helm again. And hey, if you also didn’t know anything about anything before today, welcome to the club. This is Hands Down the best Carrabbalbum to come along since Dusk and Summer and there’s still plenty of room to get on board.
 
http://dickthespic.org/