AntiQuiet.com have reviewed Far's upcoming album At Night We Live, giving the record a score of 4 out of 5 stars. The album will be available everywhere May 25th through Vagrant Records...
[antiquiet.com] After more than a decade of insisting it would never happen, post-hardcore legends Far have reunited for a new album, At Night We Live, out May 25 via Vagrant.
The decision to reignite the fire they put out in 1998 arose from a few conversations in guitarist Shaun Lopez’s backyard, and a few messy rehearsals that reminded the guys how much they enjoyed actually playing together, bringing the soundscapes they’d created to life.
It wasn’t a contrived boardroom decision. There was no label, no publicity, no management team. The initial plan was to play a few shows, hit a few festivals and have fun. They even recorded a hilarious cover of Ginuwine’s Pony, just for the hell of it. But then that little joke song got noticed. And then it exploded, and all hell broke loose.
Inspired and confused by the maniacal enthusiasm for the song, the idea of a full-fledged reunion started bouncing around in conversation. Lopez began sending frontman Jonah Matranga a few demos to work on, and between a handful of casual shows, trips to Lopez’s studio in Los Angeles were made. After several months and thousands of miles, At Night We Live was completed.
First impressions are deceptive with At Night We Live, as opener Deafening is among the most brooding and aggressive tracks on the album. It’s an anthemic, blasting declaration of return, with an alternating soaring/roaring chorus over a menacing, percussive beehive riff.
The muscle facade immediately gives way on If You Cared Enough, with a chorus like War-era U2 and Monster-days REM thrown in a blender. As evidenced here, the album quickly proves itself to be a beautifully-produced and logical next step for a band with a new perspective & motivation after a (very) long hiatus. There’s no posturing or pandering, but rather a delicately melodic offering with dynamic arrangement and impressive pop sensibility.
With a bare, earnest heart and gravitational catchiness, Give Me a Reason is reminder enough that arena bands like Jimmy Eat World and 30 Seconds To Mars should be opening for Far. The same can be said for Burns, a so-sad-to-let-you-go wringing of the heart – in a spiteful sort of way. “It left me so jaded, unhappy, all complicated”… if anyone you know ever tries to discredit Far as pioneering torch-bearers of emo, play them this song.
The dream-epic title track At Night We Live does more than casually nod to the Deftones’ gorgeous dark-melody style with an aching radiance – the song is directly connected to their bassist Chi Cheng, who was left incapacitated after a 2008 car accident and is still struggling to make a return to normalcy. (Watch a beautiful acoustic version of the track HERE.)
READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE.
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