Further Seems Forever "Hide Nothing" CD
[Tooth & Nail]
Leave it to one of my favorite bands to plow through three different vocalists in a mere three records across right around three years. Thankfully they have a knack for scoring strong vocalists, granted that never really helps with the initial apprehension of, "Is it gonna work? Can they pull if off?" Well, they pulled it off, trust me. Now, at first I as unsure. Initial listens to "How to Start a Fire" angered me, but there wasn't as much pressure here, in my opinion, so I was much more relaxed in checking this out, keeping my expectations levelheaded. Having been a big fan of Sense Field years ago, I was curious as to the decision to bring in that band's former frontman Jon Bunch, as I couldn't imagine his voice fitting Further Seems Forever's music. But it works, I'm pleased to say. It definitely took me a few listens to really start getting into it, but I've rewritten this review twice already because the more I listen to this the more I love it. I can safely say that there are no weak tracks here, and despite my first impressions I think this record is as good as their debut, and I could almost argue that it's in fact better, because I've spun this damn thing almost exclusively since I bought it and it's blowing me away. Very rarely does the material sound similar to Sense Field, despite Bunch's presence (one of his best), as the songwriting style here is completely different, though on occasion a few vocal arrangements do lean towards a pleasant reminder of Sense Field's past. The writing is a good blend of the first two records, and has of course grown into some new directions. Overall I'd say there's a little bit more overall catchiness here than there was on "How to Start a Fire", but not in a poppy way at all, as things tend to stay to the darker and more uniquely rocked out side of the emo/indie spectrum. It's also their most complex work to date, the closer you listen the more intricacies unfold. Opener "Light Up Ahead" is one of the best tracks herein, but "Make it a Part" is also incredibly moving with its driving midpaced tempo and huge vocal performance, the chorus of which is actually reprised in the more laidback following track "All Rise", which is a very curious maneuver. "Lead the Way" is another emphatic number, a bit heavier in some ways, tonally it's not really any different, but the performances and push of the rhythms get a little more aggressive in a way; as do some of the quickly choppy picking patterns in "Bleed". Closer "For All We Know" is a little strange, with fingerpicked acoustic guitars against piano and strings, not to mention some almost awkward vocal textures, but it's certainly only feasible as a closer, as it would've broken up the listen otherwise. And it segues nicely into the three (technically four) bonus tracks, all of which are acoustic renditions of songs from the album: "Bleed", "Light Up Ahead", and "Make it a Part/All Rise". I rarely find stripped down acoustic versions of complete songs to be effective, but these work out surprisingly well with just guitars and vocals. As far as the production goes, it's very nice as always. Thick and cohesive, allowing a bit of extra space around the vocals, but definitely layering in tons of subtle details everywhere. I really like the drum sound a lot because everything is resonant and has a really warm crispness to it. The basslines aren't too prominent all the time, but they're definitely there. The rhythm section definitely makes a mark though - I'm always truly impressed by the ever-changing and almost improvisational flow of the percussion with this band, and there are definitely some moments where basslines roam outside the framework and become more prominent. Guitars are, of course, the most important aspect, and here they really work well together, almost never doubling one another - instead working together through intricate weavings. The acoustic songs sound awesome as well, crystal clear and very brightly detailed, so the guitar and vocal layering really sounds impressive with so much breathing room. The layout is fucking amazing here, very impressive and highly detailed. The color scheme revolves largely around shades of dark orange and mustard yellows with tons of busily layered designs that have sort of a psychedelic pattern meets stylized 70's line illustration sort of thing happening. The typefaces and subtly gritty textures lend a more modern look, as does the center spread, where the center panels fold out from the center to reveal slightly darker panels that change the imagery over to diagrams of hearts and ribs, very stylized. The lyrics are all included in equally busy arrangements that can be sort of hard to read, but I'm not bothered by that because almost all of the content is open for interpretation so it's not much an issue (the lyrics definitely continue the heavily emotional and moving thread of the music, though). Oh, and it's all printed on matte paper, which is of course excellent. All in all another damn strong offering from the band. I certainly hope their circumstances stabilize, but the fact that they've successfully weathered so many seemingly impossible obstacles already speaks to their dedication. I'm certainly still a huge fan, and this is the my favorite CD of the year right here. This band is fucking incredible. (10/10)
Running time - 40:41, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Light Up Ahead, Already Gone, Make it a Part, Lead the Way, Bleed, and plenty more...]
Further Seems Forever - http://www.furtherseemsforever.com

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