Did someone say sing-a-longs?
I never really got Funeral For
A Friend – they always seemed a little bit cliché to me. It wasn’t
that they were a bad band, there just wasn’t anything really great
about them.
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After an EP and 2 full length
albums it seems FFAF have set aside the post hardcore rule book and
done what they should have a long time ago… written a rock record!
Tales Don’t Tell Themselves
might seem a little too straight forward for some of FFAF’s long term
fans, but I feel it’s the band’s most cohesive work to date. Gone
are the pseudo Maiden riffs and token screamed vocals. In their place
is chorus hooks a plenty and uplifting arena rock riffs that wouldn’t
be out of place on a Bon Jovi record (seriously).
I can hear a lot of mid 90’s
rock influences throughout this record – bands like the Smashing Pumpkins
and the Stone Temple Pilots definitely come to mind – and why not!?
I’d rather hear groups drawing influence from Siamese Dream than the
latest Victory Records “emo sensation”.
I know it’s been said before,
but a band’s 3rd record is their “dare to be great”
situation. With “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves” FFAF have proven
they have something to offer. I can honestly say there isn’t a bad
song on the album and that gives FFAF a consistency they were lacking
previously.
My only gripe with “Tales Don’t
Tell Themselves” is that too many of the songs seem to follow the
same the path, and while each track is able to successfully stand on
its own, the songs can blend into one another.
I’ve come across this year!
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