Since Forever

There are a lot of problems with the current condition of the pop/punk genre. For one thing, many vocalists don‘t seem to know how to use their range to their favor, which is problematic in a genre filled with artists not known for their vocal ability. Lyrics also tend to stray too often into whiny or aimlessly angry territory. Also, so many new bands sound like retreads of existing bands. This brings us to Since Forever and their debut EP, Welcome To The Nightmare.

The first problem that is apparent with the EP is that the band sounds like an amalgam of Fall Out Boy and Relient K, with a few touches of modern rock clichés. Not that this makes the EP bad, mind you, since a band with that description could very well be better than the sum of its parts, if a bit flawed. After all, Zach Easterwood’s vocals, while reminiscent of Pete Wentz, are actually better and show more vocal ability than Wentz. It’s clear Zach isn’t going to be known for his range, but it never feels like he’s singing every song the same way.

As far as the music goes, it’s mostly alright. The band never strays outside safe musical territory, and the result is that tracks like, “Bears, Bears Of Cloverfield”, are enjoyable to listen to, but never really stick in your memory for more than a few minutes, since the hooks aren’t distinct enough or strong enough to have any greater staying power. However, “Circled Areas Indicate Any Previous Damage“, deserves praise for being really catchy and fun and is probably the best thing on the album. The lyrics avoid cliché by making the song about a man struggling to save others and wrestling between that and being saved by God, which they actually word in an interesting way.

“Comeback Of The Century” sounds a little too close to a Relient K song without the wit to be really great, though the lyrics which speak of redemption and returning to the light aren’t bad, just average. There’s also this weird part near the end of the song where, in the middle of a quiet moment, there are sudden shouts that overpower the song and can actually be pretty startling if you aren’t expecting it. It’s distracting and annoying when they meant it to be powerful.

Another thing worth mentioning is the production on this album. It’s mixed in such a way that it sounds really raw at times, particularly when things get loud. While this works in some places, in others it just makes the album sound more like a demo than a finished product. While a lot of music has become overly polished and loses the organic feel, some of these songs, particularly, “Rule #1 Of Sound”, could have done with a little more polish to make it sound more professional.

Really, for all the flaws this album has, it’s not terrible, just mediocre. There are glimpses of talent here, Zach’s vocals and Jason Friedman’s drumming are definite standouts in the band, and most of the flaws can be excused as a young band still trying to find what makes them unique. Given time to develop their own sound, this could be the makings of a nice addition to the pop/punk genre.

Tagged as: Since Forever, Welcome to the Nightmare

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