Wow. I didn't even remember that I had heard this band before, but I see that I actually reviewed their last EP about a year ago. Well, what can I say? They may not have completely won me over back then, but they've damn sure done the trick this time around, and I'm extremely fucking impressed by their progress. In fact, I totally love this new EP, and as far as I'm concerned these guys should be well on their way to becoming huge. The band is Madison, WI's Things Fall Apart, and the release is titled "We are All...", on Crustacean Records. As with their past efforts the style here is a blend of metallic indie rock/emo-tinged hardcore/punk with plenty of energetic melody, but the relatively unique vocal performance has improved tenfold, as has the recording quality, and the songwriting feels more focused and memorable overall. So basically this is an absolutely stunning 15 minutes of material that leaves me extraordinarily eager to hear more. At times elements of the work remind of the final EP from As Friends Rust, though a tad more streamlined. God damnit, this is just fucking awesome. I don't even know what else to say. This kicks ass, I love it, and I'm going to let the music speak for itself. I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I do:
Things Fall Apart "The Least We Can Do"
If you don't dig that shit there's a damn good chance that something's incredibly wrong with you, so just face it. $9 may seem a touch pricy for such a short EP, but this shit is just blazing, so it's worth every damn penny. I can listen to this fucker five times straight without even thinking about it. Plus, the disc is housed in an excellent little silkscreened cardstock envelope with metallic silver ink and everything. You don't see many packages of this nature these days, and it's a nice touch. I also really appreciate the mix of personal and socio-political lyrical content:
Hey, a silent affliction is heavier to bear. I want you to know I'm here and I'm willing to carry what you let me.
Man, I really hope these guys keep at it and gain some more recognition. I'm rarely this jazzed about music these days, but these songs are just that good. Buy this shit and buy it now:
Comments
Sweet IRONY! I’m loving this shit bro!
7.5.2006 | By Adrianoso
Jake from Crustacean here. Thanks for the review. TFA certainly earned it. Just a clarification the $9 price from our webstore is postpaid in the continental US. It only costs $5 at show and around $7-8 in stores.
7.5.2006 | By Anonymous
Thanks for putting up a review of one of the bands making some great music here in Madison…TFA works hard and trys to connect their fans to the music which is unique from the bands just trying to make money.
7.5.2006 | By Anonymous
I was really starting to give up on music until I got this CD. The packaging is by far the most creative I’ve ever seen, and the lyrics/content brought me to tears. Get it.
8.27.2006 | By Anonymous