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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a surprise, January 27, 2004
By A Customer
I admittedly did not expect much from this album. I've never been a huge fan of post hardcore or emocore(with a few obvious exceptions like Thursday, Thrice, and Glassjaw) but Funeral For A Friend has written one helluva album here. This is a solid release from beginning to end and rarely disappoints. I'm shocked that some label, any label, hasn't attempted to pick up the distrobution on this album in the US because this band could be huge. Regardless, this is an album that is well worth the import price, especially if you're already familiar with their EP's or "Seven Ways To Scream Your Name." This album has tons of different styles from very impressive metal guitar riffing, clean vocals, throaty screams, some scattered breakdowns, and songs melodic enough that they'll have you singing them at some point. "Your Revolution Is A Joke" offers a nice change of pace as an acoustic track. It is difficult to narrow down highlight tracks but ultimately my favorites would include "Bullet Theory", "Escape Artists Never Die", and "Storytelling." If you are a fan of the aformentioned bands, this release is highly recommended and if your just looking for something new that has a little something for everyone, then this release is highly recommended as well. Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation is easily in my Top 15 albums of 2003.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
i dont know why i like this so much, October 27, 2004
I consider myself a "hardcore" music fan. I am always searching for new music of all sorts of genres. I have a rather large CD collection, and I enjoy a lot of avant-garde, progressive, "strange" music (as well as good stuff from other genres, from free jazz to black metal to bluegrass). I seek out original artists/bands that do new things and push the boundaries of music even further. Part of being "hardcore", though, is realizing that one must not get lost in his or her own "elitism", i.e. one must sometimes crucify one's preconceived notions of an artist, or maybe even an entire genre.
So, I really shouldn't like this album. I don't typically listen to this "emo-metal" stuff (unless you happen to count Thrice as "emo-metal", in which case you kinda don't know what you're talking about), because, in general, it sucks. I don't know why I bought it in the first place. I guess I was subconsciously drawn to it for some reason, and even so, I still shouldn't actually like the music within. Maybe my subconscious had already crucified my preconceived notions for me?
Anyway, I like this album. A lot. In fact, when I get around to listening to it, I usually end up listening three or four times. It's really catchy, and emotional (probably even "emo"), features good use of musical dynamics, and every song is of relative equal quality (meaning I think they're all pretty dang good).
It should seem like one big cliche` of an album, but for some reason when I listen to it, I can look past everything that would normally make me, um, look past this album. I don't know. The songwriting is really good. The instrumentation is really good. The vocals (although sometimes pretty damn "emo") are really good. The lyrics are really good. This is just a really good album that I keep coming back to, even though I shouldn't. Maybe they have just _perfected_ every genre cliche` into their own perfect little cliche`.
But that's not to entirely discredit this album's originality. They do some pretty sweet things with guitar-tapping, staccato riffing, and some really nice moments of quietness that, for some reason, make me think about walking through a park, with the multi-colored autumn leaves falling around me, a cool wind blowing them around in circles.
If you're into this sorta thing, you'll totally dig this album. If you generally despise this sorta thing, maybe this album is still worth giving a shot. Perhaps you should crucify any thoughts you already have of this album. Besides, open-mindedness is another rule of being "hardcore".
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good effort from FFAF, June 25, 2005
I wasn't sure about this album until I downloaded a couple of tracks mainly rookie of the year and escape artists never die. I got it and I have to say I'm impressed. FFAF have somehow managed to stay mostly under the radar, but I would have to say this album is better than Hawthorne Heights and right up there on my playlist with Underoath. From beginning to end FFAF lay down tracks that flow nicely with nice screaming intervals and the vocals which fit nicely into their style. This doesn't sound forced like much of Hawthorne Heights and many other bands like them. Although HH put out a good album I would pick this one up first. There aren't any throw away tracks on this one and the songs stand out from one another. Not a classic album, but a great listen.
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~ Funeral for a Friend
~ Funeral for a Friend
~ Funeral for a Friend
~ Senses Fail
~ Armor for Sleep
by Funeral for a Friend 
