The changes in Funeral For A Friend line-up and sounding

A Welsh post-hardcore band Funeral For A Friend is first of all known for its constant contact with the solid fan base telling of its creative plans on the official website, during the interviews and the numerous live performance. So, early this winter it has prepared the audience for the release of its fourth studio album informing that it had enough new material which was previously meant for a short EP. Just a month before the album release there happened a change in the band’s line-up: Gavin Burrough replaced bassist Gareth Davis who left the band after six years of playing with it for he had to choose between creative work and his young family. Thus this autumn the new bassist with vocalist Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Coombs-Roberts and Darran Smith and drummer Ryan Richards return with a new album Memory And Humanity, just a year after the release of the previous work Tales Don’t Tell Themselves. As it was stated the new work demonstrates significant changes in the sounding of Funeral For A Friend in the direction of more powerful and will be the closest of all to the 2003’ work Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation.

Memory And Humanity is just perfect for a stadium

Whichever track on Memory And Humanity you prefer each of them will sound just perfect at a stadium for this time the guys have definitely succeeded in squeezing all the potentials out of their instruments. The guitars here lay you out with the flow of impressive hooks, the drums cast one excellent beat after another and the vocals give even more emotions and passion to the songs. The album opens with an amazingly contagious track Rules And Games with an emotional chorus and unforgettable riffs while To Die Like Mouchette pleases with a great beat and a successful tune. The most notable bass line is on Constant Illuminations and Davies' vocals are more diverse than ever striking with power not to be overshadowed by it. One of the records’ obvious leaders is composition Maybe I Am? pleasing with introspective lyrics built on questions with no answers and a complicated tune and You Can't See The Forest For The Wolves surprises with acoustic introduction, stunning guitars and a much more sensitive singing in comparison with the rest of the album. An up-tempo composition Beneath The Burning Tree is remarkable for the best drum work whereas the first single Waterfront Dance Club conquers with a splendid guitar solo. Another example of Funeral For A Friend more lax playing is Charlie Don't Surf, probably the most tranquil on the album which closes with an intricate ballad Constant Resurrections another claimant to be called the best composition here and a great ending of this impressive record.

The beginning of a new chapter

Another piece of news in the destiny of Funeral For A Friend is the fact that this year the band has left Atlantic Records to create its own label Join Us and Memory And Humanity is the first album to be released on it. Many believe that this has been quite a risky thing to do for there have been quite a number of cases in the music history when an indie-band’s career ended after its refusal to work with a major label. Yet the new album has proved that the game has been worth the candle. Perhaps not everyone will appreciate Funeral For A Friend sometimes rawer sound but most probably the greatest part of fans will agree that this is the band’s best work to date. First, vocalist Matt Davies certainly continues to evolve. Second, a much more thoughtful lyrics fits greatly with the new absorbing instrument vigor. Finally the fact that now the guys are the ones to decide how their music should sound, what song is to become a single and what the audience wants has definitely given them more inspiration and one cannot but pay attention to that on Memory And Humanity. It will be surely enough of this inspiration for the works to follow for a new chapter in Funeral For A Friend creative work has just begun.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
06.11.2008