Further Seems Forever – Penny Black
Rise
October 23, 2012

I certainly did not see this one coming.  The ever-changing Further Seems Forever released three records from 2001 to 2004, all with different lead singers.  Most notably, 2001’s The Moon Is Down features lead vocals by Chris Carrabba in his pre-Dashboard Confessional stage.  None of the records were terrible, but none of them were memorable all the way though (though my favorite was certainly 2004’s Hide Nothing).  2012 found them teaming back up with Chris to record a new album, and on the first listen, we find that he was the missing piece that they needed to make a record with a lasting impression over the years, because this one is full of quality music, and blows all of their past efforts out of the water.  All they needed was a couple years maturity, and for Chris to enter the picture again.  Sure, Chris wrote a ton of these lyrics, so lyrically it certainly sounds like something that he would write, but musically it’s heavier and grittier than anything that could go on a Dashboard Confessional record.  This isn’t Chris Carrabba and a backup band – this is a full band working together.  Lead single So Cold may be one of my favorite songs of the year.  The music, the lyrics, the music video – it’s a killer.

7/10

If you had to listen to two tracks:  So Cold / Kings’ Canyon