Review Summary: I know it would have stayed the same.
Free Throw is an emo band from Nashville, TN. After releasing two EPs in 2012 and 2013,
Those Days Are Gone is their first full-length studio album. Putting the sports-themed band name, frivolous song titles, and Emo Revival typecasting aside, Free Throw has created an album that is as melodically sound as it is emotionally driven.
Aggressive vocals are counterbalanced by downhearted lyrics. Upbeat instrumentals are somehow brought down at just the right times, as Cory Castro seems to command the listener to hear the band in the light he's singing in. The closing track, 'Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed The Donuts', arranges the vocal delivery and emotional nuances at their peak.
"I never should have said that I loved you
I never should have said a god damn thing
I should have kept my fucking mouth shut
And then it would have stayed,
It probably would have stayed,
I know it would have stayed the same."
Zach Hall, who is no longer with the band, delivers the most notable instrument audible in the mixing. The candidness of his drumming is something worth mentioning, as it hits with the same assertive energy as the vocals do throughout. There are catchy bass lines and fun riffs, particularly in 'Two Beers In' and 'Pallet Town', but not much else stands out.
Albums in the same vein as
Those Days Are Gone tend to feel like a rollercoaster ride. By the end, you're either left feeling emotionally drained or ready to do it all over again. Free Throw has managed to create an album that quietly solidifies the landscape of modern emo music, though not being loud enough to push it forward.
