reviews
No Moore, much less
From First To Last - From First To LastScott Heisel on 6/5/08 @ 1:45 PM
Following some controversy ignited by supposed vocal problems, From First To Last singer Sonny Moore parted ways with his band of five years in February 2007, citing a desire to pursue a solo career. The remaining three members, lead by the group's guitarist, primary songwriter and original vocalist Matt Good, seemed unfazed, penning a new album and entering the studio with hotshot modern-rock producer Josh Abraham (30 Seconds To Mars, Atreyu) at the end of 2007 while Moore set to work on his debut solo album. The rapidity with which FFTL jumped back into the fray following Moore's departure and Good's role as songwriter for the majority of the band's previous tracks may lead one to believe that Moore wasn't necessarily central to FFTL's sound.
As it turns out, though, he was. FFTL's third full-length, which follows 2006's Heroine, is not without its merits, but the self-titled disc is undeniably underwhelming. While Heroine wasn't necessarily pushing any previously untouched musical boundaries or reinventing the post-hardcore/screamo genre, it displayed a band who'd found a sound that worked for them--and their fans. On From First To Last, however, you can almost hear how hard the band, who enlisted Matt Manning as bassist, are trying. It is almost as though they know they have something to prove and are expending all possible energy to do so, rather than relaxing to craft an album that represents their evolution and new goals.
On one hand, tracks like "I Once Was Lost, But Now Am Profound" (with a title seemingly lifted from Pete Wentz's journal) and the I'm-fucked-up, you're-fucked-up love song "A Perfect Mess" maintain the group's signature surging, raucous guitars and allow Good to ape Moore's combination of slightly nasal melodies and growling yelps. "We All Turn Back To Dust," on the other, opens with the unlikely sentiment "Little soul, your dreams are waiting/Grab them up, hold them closely," repeating the same guitar riff over and over as Good failingly tries to sound inspirational. The record has its share of merciless hooks (unfortunately accompanied by clichéd lyrics) and is not entirely dismissible, mostly because the songs get stuck in your head whether you like them or not.
But when a band self-titles their third album, it's usually interpreted as a statement of purpose; this album defines who they are and want to be remembered as. If that's really the case, From First To Last might want to consider a name change. (SURETONE/INTERSCOPE) Emily Zemler
ROCKS LIKE:
Senses Fail's Still Searching
Saosin's Saosin
The Used's Lies For The Liars
TRACKLISTING
1. Two As One
2. The Other Side
3. On And On And On
4. We All Turn Back To Dust
5. Medicinal Reality
6. A Perfect Mess
7. Tick Tick Tomorrow
8. Deliverance!
9. I Once Was Lost But Now Am Profound
10. Be-headed (Marathon Man)
11. In Memoriam In Advance
RELEASE DATE: APR 15
WEBSITE: fromfirsttolast.com
Official Website: http://www.interscope.com
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nothing will be the same without sonny moore
i agree Sonnyt just kinda made them liek ronnie with etf and yes i know sonny wasnt an original member. but like after he left fftl just went down hill i love aestatic OVE IT and he wasnt on the record. matt and the boys have dropped the ball i cant stand fftl now :[
I disagree with this. Yeah, Sonny brought something different to the band, but so do the rest of the guys in it. I quite like the new record, the band has taken a new direction. It works for some people and doesn't work for others. But that doesn't mean you need to say the lyrics are clichéd and insinuate that the record is no good.
ture, sonny was good but they are still as good as they were i think this is a very good album.
yea sonny sounded good on the albums but live he is hands down the worst vocalist Ive heard, and i go to a lot of shows. Ive never been a HUGE fan of fftl but if this new guy can sing a single note right at a live show he will have achieved something sonny never came close to.