We all know that sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Sometimes things go downhill, and can implode, leaving us to sometimes wonder “What the fuck just happened?” No one knows this possibly more than the Ohio-based band Things Fall Apart. Formed in 2011 by Dustin Morris, Cameron Boggs, Chris Windle and Terrell Talley from the ashes of other local-area bands, and with a split with Michigan hardcore band Dead & Gone forthcoming with a weekend tour with said band coming in February, they seem to be on their way of bringing their brand of soul-crushing music to as many people as they can. And in no way is that really a negative thing.
“You are strong. You are brave. I am envious of that. You can win,” shouts Things Fall Apart vocalist/guitarist Dustin Morris on opening track “You Can Win”, with vocals that harken back to more established acts, such as Touche Amore and Pianos Become the Teeth and the like. The balance between the lyrics and the bleak sounding instrumentals is pulled off well here, and this is personally one of my favorite tracks.
Second track “What Went Wrong?” puts vocals, while still great, on the backburner it seems, appearing in only the first half of the five-and-a-half minute long track. This gives the album its first breath of fresh air, and really gives the rest of the band a chance to shine. Bass and layers of guitar provide the bleak atmosphere, and shows that the lyrics aren’t needed (at least all of the time) to keep the desperate atmosphere of the track.
The EP continues on with “Cincinnati”, which is the angriest, and what seems, most desperate track on the album, and one of the best tracks for sure. Lyrics such as “Lead me on time and time again; You look to use me” and “I’ll say what you want to hear”, show a side of the band that most of us in our late teens/early twenties can relate to. Perhaps the most noteworthy highlight of the track is the vocal interlude towards the middle of the track provided by ex-Tight Grip vocalist Ian Jett, who sings lines such as “I am the comfort that you seek; I am the answer that you will never find” that will send shivers down your spine with how much passion bleeds into them.
I can sum up my opinion of concluding track “Who I Am & Where I Want to Be” with really only one word: Crushing. The lyric “I am no longer who I want to be” is repeated numerous times in the track, and with each repetition the urgency of the statement grows more and more until we’re left breathless by the end. As a whole, this EP is solid, with tracks that I’m sure that you’re going to want to keep on repeat, if for to listen back to catch a missed lyric, or to revel in the atmosphere of it all. I know that I have already. Catch them (if you’re able to) on their upcoming weekend tour with Dead & Gone in the next few weeks.
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/thingsfallapartband (other links can be found from there)
Overall album rating: 4/5
Choice cuts: "You Can Win", "Cincinnati"
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