Geffen Records
2008
From First To Last
About This Album
There's a section of rhythmic dissonance at the beginning of "Two as One," the opening track of From First to Last, that commands attention because it feels so off balance. In a way, it's fitting that the album opens in such a jarring, awkward manner, as it seems to be a reflection of the disc as a whole. There's plenty of volatile energy on this self-titled album, but nearly two-thirds of it feels hollow and not as urgent as From First to Last's previous works (Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount and Heroine), an affliction that isn't remedied until the end. Vocalist Matt Good may deliver the lyrics on time and in tune, but he doesn't feel them. It's a lack of passion that extends to the rest of the band as song after song depends on plodding rhythms, uninspired instrumental thrashing, and flat lyrics to get by. (One example, "Worlds Away," depends on a plaintive, repetitious intonation of "on and on and on" to serve as a decent section of the song's chorus.) However, the most frustrating aspect of the album is its own mediocrity -- it isn't bad, but by the time it starts getting good, it's more than halfway completed.
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