Remember the days when Further Seems Forever had Chris Carraba in their line-up and they were actually pretty good? (C’mon, the last couple of albums weren’t as good as the first…) Well Forever Changed may help to temporarily fill a void and bring back some good FSF memories. Recently snapped up by WEA, the band play a very melodic guitar driven sound that bears more than a passing resemblance to FSF in the old days – strong vocals, strong melodies and some very hummable choruses. It’s a trait that stands the band in good stead, although very obviously fall down on originality and, inevitably, will receive more than a few Further… references along the way.
‘The Need To Feel Alive’ is a no-frills, melodic rock record. It’s radio-friendly, safe and well produced, everything you’d expect for a band with a semi-large budget. Dan Cole has a decent voice and the’s backed by two guitars that give a really warm backing. ‘The Last Time’ will probably end up as a single as it comes complete with a catchy chorus, while ‘Something More’ has the kind of driving riff that makes this type of music very popular. The band don’t veer too much from a sound they know and perform well, so over the course of 11 songs it does start to sound a bit samey, but then each track is performed to a reasonably high, and listenable, standard.
Without wanting to sound like I’m repeating myself, fans of Further Seems Forever will like this band – they may feel a sense of Deja Vu or that they’ve heard it all before, but ‘The Need To Feel Alive’ is a decent record for what it is. There are plenty of good songs on offer and if you’re looking for something new to tide you over for a few hours, they are well worth checking out.
www.foreverchanged.net
WEA/Floodgate
Paul