Customer Reviews

At Night We Live

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ill keep it short cause unlike other reviewers Im not gonna try and do your thinking for you. The album is amzing. Far has not missed a step. 12 years off and they put out an album that is a natural progression of where they left off with Water and Solutions. I guaruntee if you like their other stuff this will make you feel right at home. Glad to see em back!!! Oh and on a personal note I feel the title track, "At Night We Live" is one of the most beutiful tribute songs ever. Lets all hope Chi gets better soon. Peace Yall.

Seriously, this album has not left my stereo since I bought it at the release show a couple weeks ago. I believe that Jonah has perfected the art of the chorus line a few times over on this one. Yeah, it's got hooks, but in a good way. And, as always, heartfelt lyrics that will destroy you if you've ever been hurt or lost a friend. The production is amazing. Nice guitar sound, sharp drums, and good bass levels to boot. And the more I listen, the more subtle nuances, noises, guitar effects, etc. I keep noticing. I think it is the best mix of "heavy" music combined with emotional songwriting that I have heard in quite a while. Also, for Jonah enthusiasts, the re-workings of "Burns" and "Are You Sure" are phenomenal. If you like Far, or any Jonah related music (Onelinedrawing, New End Original, Gratitude), I do not think you will be at all disappointed with this album. Buy it now, people have kids to feed.

It's been 12 years. 12 long years since Far dropped the influential "Water & Solutions" and then proceeded to drop off the face of the Earth. In that time, certain band members splintered off into various projects (the most noteworthy of which included Onelinedrawing, Revolution Smile and Gratitude) while they could only sit back and watch as the emo/post-hardcore/whatever genre they helped to pioneer became the next big thing. Well, it is my pleasure to report that the band are finally back together and ready to reclaim their throne.

Produced by guitarist Shaun Lopez, "At Night We Live" is most certainly an energetic and refreshing return to the fold from Far, even if it gets off to sort of a rocky start. The opening track, "Deafening," certainly makes a bold first impression, but songs like "If You Cared Enough" and "Give Me a Reason" plod along somewhat generically, sounding more like the bands Far inspired rather than the original sound they created oh so many years ago. Things pick up later on, though, with heavier fare such as "Fight Song 16,233,241" and "Dear Enemy" adding a new dimension to the band's sound while taking on a somewhat pessimistic tone that could have only been honed by the years of failed projects endured by singer Jonah Matranga.

Thankfully, though, most of the rest of the album sounds like classic Far, picking up where "Water & Solutions" left off. "Are You Sure?" and the title track will certainly transport you back in time, reminding you of just why Far were so pivotal while leaving you wondering why they have remained mostly over-looked throughout the years. Then there are songs like "The Ghost That Kept Haunting" and "When I Could See" that bare shades of Radiohead. The closing number, "Pony," conversely sounds like an amped-up Weezer, finishing things on a high note and inspiring an instant repeat listening. In spite of some awkward moments that could be chalked up to the band getting their sea-legs back (it has been a long, long time, afterall) "At Night We Live" is about as good a comeback as can be expected. The band is in top form and appear to be having a blast playing together, while Jonah sounds just as good as ever. Hopefully the wait for another album won't be as long and as painful as this one has been.

I have been a Jonah fan for a few years. Prior to this album I thought his best work was in Gratitude. He has a knack for writing the catchy versus that never leave my head. His songs always have an edge that makes me want to dance and scream the lyrics. This album is no different. "Deafening" started the album out a little heavy and I was scared that this would be too heavy for my liking but that only lasted for a few seconds. They slow it down with "If you cared enough" and then it is off into a beautiful sunset for the rest of the album. "Fight song" is my favorite. It is an anthem; for what I am not sure but it energizes me everytime I hear it. This is a fantastic mix of songs. I sure hope people don't get caught in the hype of "Pony" because this entire album is full of hits in my opinion. I will vote this album just slightly better than the Gratitude album because it is a little more solid as far as songs go. This album feels like thought and heart were put into it when it was made. Thank you. I hope there is not another 12 year hiatus...

I will even be shorter than the shortest review. This album for a band that has been missing for 12 years is simply amazing. They have not missed one beat, perhaps even creating new beats along the way. Bottom line: Far is back! I do think, with the state of the music business it will be about 3 years before anyone notices this album. Sound familiar? It's called Water & Solutions.

Being a huge fan of Water and Solutions as one of the coolest rock albums of the 90s, this "new" Far CD is a mesh of like-sounding songs, where virtually none seem to really stand out. While Jonah is usually off recording some semi-decent, but mostly lackluster music he likes to call "onelinedrawing" it seems that when the band does get back together, and the man is put to the test, seeing what he can do while collaborating with a group of people .. the result is a total failure, and if such could be said that music comes in reflection of the person creating it, my final analysis would be this: jonah matranga is a highly pretentious and confused 40-year-old-man, with some very warped ideas going on in his head regarding why people listen to him.

Reunion albums are a very difficult feat to accomplish. The old fans want something that sounds similar enough to the old stuff, but fresh. Considering it's been over 12 years since Water and Solutions, I wasn't getting my hopes too high. This album, for lack of a better phrase, hit the mark 99%. Jonah has had quite the roller-coaster since the initial Far split, other albums, other bands, some of it very good some of it more, experimental. This album is exactly how far should sound in 2010. The sound is not as classically dark as old Far, but it's embracive and powerful.

The band has defiantly proven that they are far from a one man show with this album. Shaun and Johan complement each other on this album. The songs are largely upbeat while throwing in a few very fast paced rock songs. Though lyrically the songs are a bit erratic, the music is solid. This was a pleasant surprise in almost every way, they have pulled off the impossible.

FAR'S COMEBACK ALBUM IS FINALLY HERE! I CAN'T SAY IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT CUZ I HATE WAITING, BUT THIS ALBUM PRETTY GODD**N GOOD!OF COURSE I ORDERED THE IMPORT SO MY COPY'S GOT A BIG PARENTAL ADVISORY STICKER ON IT. OK... DEAFENING (great song, kinda heavy,first best song on the album, this is one reason why the album got the sticker)IF YOU CARED ENOUGH (love it) WHEN I COULD SEE (love it) GIVE ME A REASON (once again, love it) DEAR ENEMY (this song i think could have been better, but hey what can i do?!) FIGHT SONG #16,233,241 (really awesome) AT NIGHT WE LIVE (the name of the album, this song is gold) BURNS (Second best song on the album, this is also why this album got the sticker) BETTER SURRENDER (cool) ARE YOU SURE? (third best) THE GHOST THAT KEPT ON HAUNTING (fourth best) AND OF COURSE THE HIDDEN TRACK! PONY (fifth best song, another reason this album got a sticker) ANYWAY THIS IS A GOOD COMEBACK, AND I EXPECT MORE ALBUMS TO COME. ALBUM COVER: 8/10. ALBUM ARTWORK: 10/10. SONGS: 10/10.

I recently went through a box of crap sitting in my Dad's basement that was packed when I was in my early 20's. I found Water & Solutions and for once, the cd player in my car was actually used. A month later I saw that this album had been released, and I pounced on it. /end nostalgia.

It sounds like plastic shiny pants. It sounds like the albums the college kids that live next door listen to while they listen to their tired emo pop/nu-metal crap and drink Milwaukee's Best on their porch. One exception so far: "When I Could See." This song is gorgeous. I'm happy that I contributed to the band's livelihood again, if only for how this song makes me feel.

Hopefully repeat listens will bring out a few more gems.

This review will be short and sweet. The new Far album is a huge disappointment. It's nothing like the older albums - some of the tracks sound more like POD. Sorry, Jonah.

Not worth a buy if you're expecting anything like the previous albums.