Review Summary: Unapologetically energetic, unabashedly honest and unwaveringly consistent, Forever Came Calling prove they've got what it takes to become the next household name in Pop-Punk.
I ran into Forever Came Calling just before summer 2014. I was coming off an incredible pop-punk high, singing along and riding the wave of pop-punk revival staples such as Handguns, State Champs, The Story So Far, The Wonder Years and Neck Deep. After I had played out the main runners, I started making my way into the lesser known but equally fantastic undercurrent of the re-emerging pop-punk scene such as I Call Fives, Carousel Kings, Major League, This Time Next Year and, eventually, Forever Came Calling. As soon as I heard these guys, what instantly struck me were the honest, heart-on-sleeve lyrics that came bundled with the sheer impact of its high-energy approach--like arteries pumping blood into each and every song in the album. In and of itself, this would already be a huge task for any band to accomplish on their sophomore effort, let alone on their debut album. A couple months after I discovered them, I was greeted with the news of their upcoming album,
What Matters Most, and suffice it to say, they had my attention by then.
'August is Home' kicks off the album off with a bang, hitting you right from the start with a tour de force of guitar hooks--courtesy of guitarist John Swaba--and pounding drums that encapsulate the feeling of what pop-punk should be all about. It’s fun, energetic, infectious, hard-hitting and, more importantly, gives the listener a clear idea as to what they’re in for. Joe Candelaria continues to do an amazing job as vocalist, infusing each song with fantastic amounts of energy and emotion as needed throughout. Couple this along with his unique vocal style, and you’ve got a voice that’s sure to stand out from the crowd.
To say Forever Came Calling thrive only on infectious hooks and energy would be a misleading comment. While it is true that they excel at crafting exceedingly catchy hooks and vocal melodies, there’s also a surprising amount of musical depth to be found in
What Matters Most. Take a look at 'Substances'--one of the deeper songs off the album, in which Joe belts out:
“Friends strung out on substances and I’m not sure what to do with them.
I’ve been staying strong but you’re spun again
pissed at me for calling you on it
My friendship, I hope is relevant.
in times like this,i have to ask
I hope you find me relevant,
Yea, I hope you find me relevant.”
Here, we find ourselves peeking into a window of a very dark and personal matter in someone’s life, as he’s forced to endure watching all his friends hopelessly spiral into a drug-fueled descent, and the worry and uselessness one feels in such a delicate situation. 'Substances' is one of the lyrically heavier songs off the album for good reason--and yet, oddly enough, is also one of the more energetic songs. It’s this same juxtaposition of serious thematic elements and fast, melodic hooks that show Forever Came Calling at their best--dealing with loss, resentment and heartbreak, and channeling it into songs you can just as easily belt out on a highway with the windows down and the sun up high. The result are eleven songs that are as driven and passionate as the guys who wrote it. Tempo-wise, the songs never really let up with the exception of 'Endangered Innocent', a touching song that deals about the innocence and uncertainty of relationships with just the right amount of tact to prevent it from feeling like it’s trying too hard. This song would be right at home in a Yellowcard album, with its emotional, understated violins serving as a beautiful backdrop in an acoustic setting that serves as the obligatory slow song on the album.
On the other hand, songs like 'Mapping With a Sense of Direction' regale us with the wittiest lyrics seen this side of pop-punk, while their lead single, 'Indebted', leans more toward the poppier side of things, with a chorus that’s bound to become an earworm during those warm, summer days.
It’s these types of songs--deceptively simple, yet bitingly effective--that prove Forever Came Calling have their songwriting formula down to a tee, and prove that pop-punk is not an excuse to compose idiotically immature lyrics just for the sake of being catchy and fun. Songs on
What Matters Most have actual weight to them, and for the most part feel like they were carefully planned out and carried seamlessly from mind, to paper, to studio. It’s a ridiculously simple concept, yet one that too many bands can’t seem to grasp, even after decades of trial and error. Forever Came Calling know there’s no free pass in this line of work--and they’re working their asses off to prove their worth.
What Matters most is definitely a longer affair than
Contender, clocking in at a running time of about 35 minutes vs
Contender’s 24, which is definitely a good thing, since their debut album often left one wanting for just a bit more from a couple of songs. Although the short running time detracted little to nothing from the experience as a whole, it’s nice to see them fleshing out their song structures with practically no fillers this time around, making for a rather complete listening experience that hits all the sweet spots, both duration and musicality-wise.
However, for as much praise as the album deserves, there is also a minuscule amount of nitpicking that is worth mentioning, if only in passing. For every commendable approach they took while crafting a lot of their songs on
What Matters Most, some of their songs can’t help but feel like they’re treading old territory. While one can argue that Forever Came Calling are simply doing what they do best, it still wouldn’t have hurt to mix up some of their song’s structural diversity just enough to keep it feeling fresh and new. The main culprit in this case would be 'Defenseless', which comes off as a bit of a retread of 'The Office' from their debut. However this is to be expected, and can be written off as growing pains which will probably be corrected as this band continue to grow and develop. At the pace they’re going, one can only look up.
There’s something more to be found within this band. An underlying driving force that truly encapsulates the true essence of what pop-punk should be. It has heart. Not in the cliché, happy-go-lucky-sports-movie idea of “heart”, but a true, raw, vulnerable and voracious type of heart that can be felt through every wistful line, scream, melody, and blistering drum beat throughout the album. Forever Came Calling strive to lay it all on the line--unapologetically energetic, unabashedly honest and unwaveringly consistent. This is Forever Came Calling as mature and driven as we’ve ever seen them--both in lyrics and in melody. And if this album is any indicator of what these guys have in store for us down the road, I think the pop-punk scene is due for one more household name under its belt, and we are all the better off for it.
Recommended songs:
-August is Home
-Defenseless
-Substances
