Customer Reviews

Bitter Forces and Lame Back Horses Ep

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Though the EP is only four songs, the depth of the writing and the melodies really grab you. I love the role the piano plays in this drama - haunting, yet hopeful. The lyrics are a no-holds-barred, honest interpretation of events. I'm totally blown away and have trouble removing it from my player. An excellent addition to your current rotation, and a bargain besides.

Fiction Plane's latest effort, the Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses EP is in a word: infectious. In a mere four songs, Fiction Plane has managed to do what very few bands are capable of accomplishing: evading the sophomore blues that gives young bands the impression of one-trick ponies. And while the cynical music fan would deem two years too long an expanse between releases, Fiction Plane makes these four ultra-dynamic tracks worth the wait. The 2003 debut Everything Will Never Be Okay may have provided listeners to a taste of the wealth of musical dexterity and knowledge the guys were capable of, Bitter Forces... offers a more focused display of aural wisdom the band has to impart. Where the debut was a maelstrom of manic enthusiasm, Bitter Forces... is a progression in structured articulation, all the while retaining the band's signature nod to energetic sarcasm. More centered on dramatic rock than free-form pop, Fiction Plane's current direction is seemingly more serious in tone, but no less listenable. Each track is composed with such control and emphasis on excellent songwriting that one can easily replay the entire EP over and over again with equal enthusiasm. Like a favorite movie, Bitter Forces... yields an uncanny ability to worm its way into the listener's head allowing repeated exposure without the fear of monotony. Perhaps it was the addition of vigorous drummer Pete Wilhoit, Joe Sumner's amplified vocal expressionism, Seton Daunt's development as a soulful guitarist, or Dan Brown's effervescent dexterity as a bassist and keyboardist, but Fiction Plane has evolved into a dramatic, captivating, spirited rock band that many merely aspire to be. Assuredly, if this EP is this well executed, I await the next full-length with baited breath!

This EP is worth purchasing! Fiction Plane is one of the best bands out there today. Their lyrics are genuine and relatable. The music is hum-able, the kind that sticks in your head for the day and you can't wait until you get home to pop the disk in! I recommend!

This EP has by now become a collectors item for Fiction Plan fans as this EP is unlikely to ever be re-released. An essential addition to any fan's collection, the copies are getting harder and harder to come by and are sometimes sold for insane prices. During the European tour of December 2008 the band themselves had a number of copies of the EP for sale (that had been unearthed in an attic!) for 10 euro due to the prices being charged online for copies but these are now sold out so it is unlikely that cheap copies of this EP will surface in many places now. A fantastic EP and well worth adding to any serious music collection.