Record #241: Further Seems Forever – How to Start a Fire (2003)

Hipster punk that I am, I have long been of the opinion that the first album is always best (Radiohead cured me of that). My view of Further Seems Forever back in my emo days was that Chris and FSF put together one perfect record, parted ways, and limped on without the other. And while it’s true that the first incarnation of the group was a wonderful, singular thing, it is far from the only worthwhile version. Further Seems Forever, mark II is a harsher beast, making its loudest statements during hard hitting rockers, like the title track opener, Against My Better Judgment, Pride War, etc.

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Record #239: As Cities Burn – Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest (2005)

recently stated that I haven’t cared about hard music in something like eight years. While that’s true, there is one exception.

Even as I dismissed the more fist-in-the-air tastes of my youth in favor of more cerebral tastes like folk, electronica, Krautrock, and the like, As Cities Burn’s debut has always been near the top of my favorite albums.

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