Review Summary: Where many bands fail, Conditions have produced a high energy album that's sure to inspire.
Why do bands want to make music? What is it about music that keeps us coming back for more? Music is supposed to mean something. It isn't something that fans listen to so that they can fill their time. Music is something that fans can look to when they are going through hard and trying times. Whether its the contemplation of suicide, depression, bullying, or a number of other afflictions that can take a toll on our lives, fans use music as a way to cope with the way they are feeling. Genuine sincerity is something that is absent in most music today. This is where Conditions comes in.
Conditions is a post-hardcore band with an arena rock sound similar to bands such as Saosin and Anberlin. Conditions write music with a purpose. They dont have the teenage angst lyrics like most bands do today; instead, they trade these lyrics for uplifting and powerful lyrics that are sure to inspire teenagers and young adults across the country. Lead single "Better Life" is the best example of this: "When you fall, when you break, when you wish you didn't feel. Keep your head, don't forget, it's the pain that keeps. I know most of the time it's hard to keep in mind. From lessons learned comes better life, better life." Vocal harmonies and driving guitar lines abound in "Fluorescent Youth" as seen in the aforementioned " Better Life as well as the powerful and turbulent opener "The End of Progression," "Make Them Remember," " and "When It Wont Save You." The song "Miss America" is the hardest hitting song on the album and knocks off any dust left by the half ballad "Comfort Far Away." The songs "Natural Progression" and "When It Won't Save You" show that Conditions are not going to resort to the clichéd topics that plague the music world today. "I call everyone I know, the only thing of value I could ever own" and "trading life for money never made much sense to me." Producer Paul Leavitt (I Call Fives, Senses Fail, Such Gold) proves once again that he is one of the top producers in music today. The production is flawless and should be an album that some producers look to as a goal (I'm talking about you Tom Denney).
With Fluorescent Youth, Conditions create the album that Saosin never made with the songwriting prowess of Anberlin. Where many bands fail, Conditions have improved drastically since their self titled ep and have bloomed into one of the more polished and passionate bands in music today.
