At Night We Live

This review will be short and sweet. The new Far album is a huge disappointment. It's nothing like the older albums - some of the tracks sound more like POD. Sorry, Jonah.Not worth a buy if you're expecting anything like the previous albums.

It's been 12 years. 12 long years since Far dropped the influential " Water & Solutions " and then proceeded to drop off the face of the Earth. In that time, certain band members splintered off into various projects (the most noteworthy of which included Onelinedrawing, Revolution Smile and Gratitude) while they could only sit back and watch as the emo/post-hardcore/whatever genre they helped to pioneer became the next big thing. Well, it is my pleasure to report that the band are finally back together and ready to reclaim their throne.Produced by guitarist Shaun Lopez, "At Night We Live" is most certainly an energetic and refreshing return to the fold from Far, even if it gets off to sort of a rocky start. The opening track, "Deafening," certainly makes a bold first impression, but songs like "If You Cared Enough" and "Give Me a Reason" plod along somewhat generically, sounding more like the bands Far inspired rather than the original sound they created oh so many years ago. Things pick up later on, though, with heavier fare such as "Fight Song 16,233,241" and "Dear Enemy" adding a new dimension to the band's sound while taking on a somewhat pessimistic tone that could have only been honed by the years of failed projects endured by singer Jonah Matranga.Thankfully, though, most of the rest of the album sounds like classic Far, picking up where "Water & Solutions" left off. "Are You Sure?" and the title track will certainly transport you back in time, reminding you of just why Far were so pivotal while leaving you wondering why they have remained mostly over-looked throughout the years. Then there are songs like "The Ghost That Kept Haunting" and "When I Could See" that bare shades of Radiohead. The closing number, "Pony," conversely sounds like an amped-up Weezer, finishing things on a high note and inspiring an instant repeat listening. In spite of some awkward moments that could be chalked up to the band getting their sea-legs back (it has been a long, long time, afterall) "At Night We Live" is about as good a comeback as can be expected. The band is in top form and appear to be having a blast playing together, while Jonah sounds just as good as ever. Hopefully the wait for another album won't be as long and as painful as this one has been.

Back in the late 90's Far's Water & Solutions popped into existence with very poor label support. However, the people that did hear the record fell in love with it (much like Weezer's Pinkerton). It influenced many bands in various genere's of rock years after it was released. It seemed to many that if an album of this magnitude couldn't get Far major play than nothing would. Again, their label at the time (immortal) just didn't know how to promote these guys. They didn't fit into the Korn brand of nu metal nor did they quite seem as hard as the Deftones (a good friend of the band). So far broke up and many of us who were touched by their music thought it was all over. At least we got Water & Solutions right? Then Jonah did some solo stuff under Onelinedrawing and he did two great records in New End Original (Thriller) and Gratitude. The guitar player did some great work producing and had a decent album as Revolution Smile. So us Far fans had some good music to tide us over but it was never going to be the same.Well, I'm happy to say they're back and better than ever. Their song writing has come a long way and you can tell they put everything into At Night We Live. The title track is a heartfelt tribute to Chi of the Deftones while songs like "Deafening" and "Fight Song" bring back that hard edge that Far had. But it's songs like "If you cared enough" and "Give me a reason" that show some serious progress with this band. They are ready to influence a whole new group of musicians with or without the massive sales this album deserves.It's not to often that a band gets a second chance to make a classic and though this album isn't quite as great as Water & Solutions it is a fantastic record that should give this band the legs it deserves.

Seriously, this album has not left my stereo since I bought it at the release show a couple weeks ago. I believe that Jonah has perfected the art of the chorus line a few times over on this one. Yeah, it's got hooks, but in a good way. And, as always, heartfelt lyrics that will destroy you if you've ever been hurt or lost a friend. The production is amazing. Nice guitar sound, sharp drums, and good bass levels to boot. And the more I listen, the more subtle nuances, noises, guitar effects, etc. I keep noticing. I think it is the best mix of "heavy" music combined with emotional songwriting that I have heard in quite a while. Also, for Jonah enthusiasts, the re-workings of "Burns" and "Are You Sure" are phenomenal. If you like Far, or any Jonah related music (Onelinedrawing, New End Original, Gratitude), I do not think you will be at all disappointed with this album. Buy it now, people have kids to feed.

When I first heard tin cans with strings to you, I was beside myself. It was powerful, moving and beautiful. This however is void of the original intensity and angst. What happened? This album seems to continue where water and solutions had left off. There are some decent material, but it will leave you hungry for something with more intricacy and weight. For years I have followed Jonah from the sidelines of his career wishing him nothing but the best and wanting Far to reemerge, but sadly I was hoping for something more raw and from the heart. I thought that despite the aging process, that while wandering through the musical desert that things would have at least festered into something strong enough to deserve the hype.

まさかの復活!西海岸のハードコアからエモを生んだ源流でありきっかけ的なバンド、このオリジナリティは他のバンドとは違いすぎる!far解散後、voは色々経てgratitudeで一つの到達点に達したかと思いましたが、まさか再結成でエモーショナルな復帰をするとは…洗練と初期衝動を常に繰り返せるこの人はシンガーとして誰より尊敬できます