Review Summary: From Pop punk to screaming delicate brilliance, this record is well worth any music lover's time
Half a dozen times in your life, you will come across musicians and artists who will completely blow your mind, change your view on the music world and direct you in musical taste directions that you could never dream of. For me, one such band, a special group of musicians, comes in the form of the British band "Fightstar". I came across their American debut album, "Grand Unification", a year and a half ago, and I was totally blown away. So, like any good young band obsessee, I delved further into their music, starting with their debut EP, "They Liked you Better When you Were Dead".
From the second that first track graced my ears, I was hooked. The starting Track, "Paint Your Target" in its original form is only slightly different than the version provided on "Grand Unification". Its production is rougher, causing the instruments and vocals to sound more raw and passionate and less polished. However, this only makes the track a much more urgent listen, and you can hear more clearly the emotion present in the song's composition. Four of the tracks on this EP reappeared on Grand Unification. All remaining 3 tracks, are rougher, and like "Paint Your Target" are more urgent, and by extension more passionate.
Penultimate track, "Mono", is present in its supreme form, and is the first ever Fightstar track I heard. Charlie Simpson's leads and Alex Westaway's backup vocals mesh perfectly, combining into the most passionate, heart wrenching vocal performance in the entire post-hardcore genre. The instrumentation is brilliant, each member playing off of each other, and sharing the spotlight perfectly. The guitars are beautiful, acting as wings to the vocals, lifting them to sky heights. The bass and drums are reserved, until the 4 minute mark until unleashing all fury, in time with Alex's and Charlie's brutal axe power chords.
The drumming on this record, is tight, concise, and precise. The Drummer, Omar, provides with brilliant fills in "Lost Like Tears In Rain", and lets all hell break through, becoming thunderous and brutal in "Speak Up". The Bassist is audible, and although not fantastic, does a really good job providing the backup, the rhythm, and helping the sound feel whole. The guitars, provided by vocalists Alex and Charlie, are brilliant, and weave in and out of each other, much like their interweaving vocals, bedazzling the listener with alternating lead and rhythm parts. The vocals are also very well done, not once becoming grating or overbearing. Both men trade cleans and uncleans with incredible ease, going from soothing wails and croons, to rusty, throaty screams.
The lyrics on this record are as on par with the instrumentation. With lines like "The killers walking amongst us, Look around they'll find your ashes, You cradle over your mistakes, And every heart you'll ever break" they completely take you by suprise. Not once do Fightstar resolve to clichés, instead creating their own standard, blowing away with lines like "(insert entire lyric to Mono)".
This record is a staple of the genre, redefining, refreshing, and bringing back hope to the post-hardcore world. It would be impossible to refer any one brilliant track, seeing as each of them are just as mind blowing as the others. I recommend each of you hunt this down, and fall in love with Post-hardcore again.
