Further Seems Forever

Item: How to Start a Fire
Author: Craig Kleemann

How to Start a Fire

(2003)

Reviewed by Craig Kleemann

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsDecapolisFebruary 2003

emo melodic hardcore post-hardcore

I waited so long for this. So maybe it just feels like it...I didn't even get "the Moon is Down" until a little over a year and a half ago, but it seems like I've been waiting forever. I'm slightly embarrassed to say it, but this band really changed the course of the way I listen to music, possibly placing my expectations a bit too high for this release. I'll get right down to it for people who have been waiting like me; this album rocks.

Further Seems Forever has gone through several lineup changes since their last release, most notably the absence of vocalist Chris Carrabba, replaced by Jason Gleason. Guitarist Derick Cordoba joined the band to replace Josh Domingez, as well as a new guitar player to tour in place of Josh Colbert. I cannot think of being more pleased with a band that has replaced more than half of its members.

One can get a pretty good impression of the quality and tone of the album in the lead off title track "How to Start a Fire". The production quality is very glossy, but not over produced. It tends just to sound very bright and well recorded without too much layering or post-production touches. If anything the record sounds a little too clean and precise, a little too digital. At times it lacks the warmth of earlier work, but not in a way that's exceptionally noticeable. I was also disappointed to hear the bass far lower in the mix than on the last record, a quality that made it sound a little different. Structurally, the songs on the album tend to be loosely structured pop songs with a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus format, but with more liberties than most bands take. The songs have a definite pop element, but aren't especially hooky and don't risk being cheesy for radio's sake. The album also incorporates hardcore elements in a way that not many bands are doing. Rather than just inserting random breakdowns for edginess' sake, Further Seems Forever is a bit more subtle with the heaviness.

Though perhaps it is unfair, this album does need to be compared with "The Moon Is Down" to see how the band has evolved. The stand out qualities of the last album in my mind were the drums, the alternate song structures, and that one part on "Snowbirds and Townies" with the high note on "leaving..." You know what I'm talking about. In short, the drums still sound killer, making Steve Kleisath my percussion idol. The songs this time around tend toward a pop format, though not overtly. This album has the killer high note on the third track. It's just as good. I was breathless.

Background is an important term to this album. Prior to being in Further Seems Forever, Jason Gleason fronted Minneapolis metalcore band Affinity, and his experience there shows as much on this record as it does in their live performance. Gleason's voice breaks perfectly high in his range, accenting his lyrics exactly when necessary. Again, it's more subtle than the standard sing a verse, scream a bridge formula, and works well in the overall picture of a song.

New guitarist Derick Cordoba has a jazz background, and its integration and use adds a new element to Further Seems Forever's sound. On "The Moon Is Down" the guitar parts tended to be reminiscent of Shai Hulud and Strongarm (albeit in major keys), at times becoming very "Matt Fox-y." This worked to the band's advantage, but the switch to more jazz based guitar parts keeps the album interesting.

The reverse side of the coin, however, is that album's questionable accessibility. The guitars are definitely interesting, but they are different enough from standard rock music that at times one gets lost in what's happening. Because the album isn't composed of regular I-IV-V progressions, the listener can't immediately relate to what is happening musically. In this way the band's musicality works against them; they are all playing so well that we aren't sure what's going on. This problem first really arises on the albums third track, "Blank Page Empire," a mid tempo song that embraces alternate chord voicings for an effect that is at the time interesting, but difficult to grasp.

Accessibility also comes into play with Gleason's lyrics. Much will probably be said to compare the quality of his writing to Carrabba's, and I have no real opinion. What I will say, however, is that Gleason tends toward the figurative, while Carrabba's writing is far more literal. I can not tell you what most of the songs on "How To Start A Fire" are about. The lyrics are well written and evocative, but I don't really get an overall story or message through the songs. This brings up a question in the overall philosophy of the songwriter; is the intent to tell the audience what a song means, or leave it up to the individual for interpretation and application? Maybe, like the music, the lyrics will feel more natural over time, but at first glance they can be somewhat daunting.

As a band Further Seems Forever has changed significantly since their last album. Musically, they have evolved to a place that is not better or worse, but definitely different. "How To Start A Fire" is a progression that feels very right and brings the band in a new direction that will definitely change how fans feel about them. For a band with such a diverse history, maybe that's a good thing.

Bottom Line: Great sounding album, but maybe it's not for everyone.