January 13, 2010

Best of the Decade, Number Five: Further Seems Forever – The Moon Is Down

Further Seems Forever - The Moon Is Down Artist: Further Seems Forever
Album: The Moon Is Down
Release Date: March 15, 2001
Label: Tooth and Nail

Partnering with releases belonging to their scene’s peers — like Thursday’s Full Collapse — The Moon Is Down bridged the crucial gap between the feet-shuffling self-effacement of ’90s emo and the power-pop emo that would come after and propel the genre’s three letter appellation into mainstream, household use. The band — essentially Strongarm with a different vocalist (the singy-note kind) — and their debut full-length with the strange pink and white color scheme, acted as a stabilizing fulcrum that kind of kept either side of the seesaw from knocking everyone’s Buddy Holly glasses off.

Over a rolling bed of chord voicings — heretofore unused in indie rock circles — and drummer Steve Kleisath’s creative, trickster skin work, then-unknown vocalist Chris Carrabba wailed in his almost-falsetto about romance found dead or gettin’ dissed by once-good friends. So it seems, anyway; one can’t exactly tell.

There was an overhanging theme of alienation brought about by physical separation: a recurring rite of passage that bookended the college experience (Carrabba joined the band just shy of his quarter-century mark). His attempts to reconcile romance and friendships with incompatible geographies borderlined on the obsessive. To him, time may have healed all wounds, but distance ripped them back open. Travel was his savior.

His word choice and delivery were neither too forlorn nor too saccharine (a delicate balance that he obliterated, in my opinion, in Dashboard Confessional), but it was sufficiently sincere enough to make it attractive and unspecific to just about anyone yawning from all the screaming metal bands.

From the power waltz 3/4 of the opening title track to the jazz-slide seagull guitar of the album’s closer, A New Desert Life, the Colbert/Dominguez/Neptune signature songwriting is writ large. Further Seems Forever converted droves of hardcore kids into their kinda-sorta Christianized denomination of amalgamated emo and rock. For those still unfaithful to FSF, try listening to Carrabba’s optimism and the guitars’ hopeful echoing in the last half minute of Snowbirds and Townies, and feel your doubt drain away. I know it still gives me the shivers.

9 Responses to “Best of the Decade, Number Five: Further Seems Forever – The Moon Is Down”

  1. On 01/13/10 3:31 PM, luke said:

    man, i couldnt get enough of this record back then. great choice.

  3. On 01/13/10 4:32 PM, xfreekx said:

    I bought this record because it was essentially Strongarm. I didn’t even know what “emo” was at the time. When i put it on, i thought it was just insanely catchy rock. I love all three of their albums.

    The more i listened to this record the more i noticed how similar to Strongarm it is musically, just without the E chugs.

  5. On 01/13/10 4:45 PM, sammy said:

    I absolutely love this album, although I was a bit worried it would be #1. The music has SO MUCH in common with melodic hardcore, but those vocals were just perfect. Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral are the only bands that I feel ooze as much emotion and passion as this record.

  7. On 01/13/10 7:42 PM, Jay DiNitto said:

    Agreed with all 3 comments.

  9. On 01/13/10 11:33 PM, Jesse said:

    I like this cd a lot.

  11. On 01/14/10 1:16 PM, Patton said:

    FSF really sucked after Chris left (although Hide Nothing had a couple of good moments.

    Love this album.

  13. On 01/14/10 5:43 PM, dangerTIM said:

    Even though Carrabba is a wuss…this album is awesome.

  15. On 01/14/10 9:10 PM, tAlex said:

    In my opinion:

    1. Chris Carrabba
    2. John Bunch
    3. Jason Gleason

    Nothing beats The Moon is down though.

  17. On 01/18/10 8:29 AM, ryanB said:

    This is my number one! This album helped me make it through the decade! agree with first three comments. It has the melodic tendencies of a melodic hardcore band of the late 90′s early 0′s, but it has melodic vocals…that well kick ass. I loved every lyric, every note, and every drum beat. The drums really made this album great. Always wanted a rock band Moon is Down. I cant find anything in the useless opinion side of this blog to say about this record. It’s just good.

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