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.

Even the quiet On Legendary (single handedly justifying Jason Gleason’s tenure as vocalist) explodes into a high volume power ballad. Aurora Borealis (In Long Form) spends some time experimenting in ambient washes, but that doesn’t keep Gleason from screaming in the atmosphere, and the track ends up being one of the strongest in the band’s three album catalogue. All in all, How to Start a Fire is a triumph of a sophomore record, considering that not only was it trying to follow up one of the greatest emo records of the early oughts, it was also trying to convince all of the unbelievers in their staying power. And twelve years after the fact, I am finally convinced.