When I first read that Further Seems Forever was getting back together with its original lineup, high-school-aged me was pretty excited. When I heard the first single and then the second single, I was even more excited. A short list of tour dates was announced, and I purchased a ticket. And this week, the album finally came out. Since being loaded onto Spotify, I'm almost embarrassed to detail how many times I've listened to it, but let's be real here—it's a good record.
Penny Black is a throwback to The Moon Is Down, the last time all of the original members recorded an album together—that was in 2001, so to say this reunion is long overdue would be an understatement. Of course, there was a reason for the split—singer Chris Carrabba left the band after its first album together to play his own solo act (which became a full band later on), Dashboard Confessional.
The new songs sound like they've picked up where the band left off, but the 11 year gap is apparent in the lyrics. On The Moon Is Down, loneliness and longing are apparent, but on Penny Black the subject material is a bit more mature than the writings of a sad 26 year old (which Carrabba seemingly was when Moon was released).
That's not to say that the music is boring, though—it's anything but. Standout tracks include "Rescue Trained," "A System of Symmetry," and "Engines," with the lead single being "So Cold."
And completely irrelevant to the music (but me at 16 years old would have to mention this), Carrabba is still just as smoldering as he was 11 years ago. Check it out, regardless of your feelings on dark-haired, tattooed singers. You won't be disappointed.
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