...So We Have to Tell Them

South Wales' resident hardcore rockers, Funeral For a Friend, made their major-label debut with Hours, a record I have neglected to hear out of possibility to purchase. Meaning: I can't find it to buy it. Anyway, FFAF's second major label album on Atlantic Records released this year, Tales Don't Tell Themselves. This nautical-themed album focuses on a man named David who washes up on shore. It goes through the main troubles of sailors at sea. Whilst listening, remember that FFAF means what they say very literally. No metaphors about life - well, maybe a few - but it is what it is, a record about a man lost at sea and shipwrecked.

Funeral For a Friend - Tales Don't Tell Themselves
****

The band kicks off the album with the electronica-opening, radio-prepared, catchy single, "Into Oblivion (Reunion)." It's a very good album opener, and if you take first impressions seriously, you'll want to listen to the rest of the album. The next tune is just as awesome, if not more so, "The Great Wide Open," a catchy watery anthem with an incredibly catchy beat and a kicking chorus to match. Three good songs in a row: Too good to be true? Wrong! "The Diary" is an incredibly melodious hit, although slower in tempo than the first two beats. "On a Wire" recalls Muse's "Starlight" antics, but this album is reminiscent of that one song. It is definitely one of the disappointments, but it stands on its own alright. Then, we come to "All Hands On Deck," which is a two-part micro epic in which Part 1 blends into Part 2. "Part 1: Raise The Sail" is one of the best songs on the album, with an arena-ready chorus and an orchestra closing the song, with classical instruments guiding the way for the violin-like guitar playing. Frontman Matt Davies' vocals blend smoothly in, giving this the best closer of a song I've ever heard. "Part 2: Open Water" is a bit watered-down (haha!) than its significant other, but stands well enough on its own with a good beat. "Out of Reach" is my personal favorite, a hard rock anthem with freaking awesome harmonies - I'd safely say it is one of, if not the best song on the album. "One For the Road," "Walk Away," and "The Sweetest Wave" close out the album. "One For the Road" is a slower song that doesn't fit FFAF's standards well, and Davies' vocals sound strained. "Walk Away" is a catchy ballad with an amazing music video to boot. "The Sweetest Wave," the tenth and last track, is orchestra-ready with soft vocals and wraps up at almost six and a half minutes. So buy this ASAP, but beware of the great whites trying to nab at it before you get an attempt at salvage. Bye, everybuddy!

Ian