Arizona rockers Farewell, My Love have gained a large fan base with their theatrical rock and there has been a bit of a wait for the follow-up album to 2013’s Gold Tattoos, but three years later and it’s time for Above it All. The new offering from the quartet is set to be a massive leap from the previous record and let me assure you, it is well worth the wait!
Opening track Welcome to the Beginning has a prominent drum beat and creates and intense build-up with an almost Irish jig feel, the one and a half minutes of instrumental builds up and heads directly into Burn Out the Night, the linking of the two tracks together works really well giving the opening track the feel of being an extended introduction. The repetitive chorus is easy to pick up and there is a haunting feel to the melody. There is an intricate guitar solo towards the end which shows the talent of the guitarists from the very beginning.
Crazy is the lead track from the record and it is easy to see why, with it’s opening ‘nah nah nah’s’ before heading into an atmospheric melody, it encapsulates just what the band are about. Maybe I shows the evolution of frontman Chad Kowal’s voice. Inside A Nightmare has a similar feel to Crazy with its fast guitars. Lyrically, Last Goodbye is very deep. The minimal melody ensures that the emotions of the track are fully shown, a definite curveball in terms of the previous tracks but an emotionally intense track which again showcases Chad’s vocals. Now Skip the Memories II suggests a follow-up to 2013’s track Skip the Memories from Gold Tattoos. The track begins almost immediately after Last Goodbye finishes, again with a minimalistic melody, at first making it hard to distinguish between the two tracks. The vocals are the focal point for the first verse until the guitars kick in, with another intricate solo. There are references throughout to their previous track and ending with a spoken solo.
Title track Above It All is reminiscent of The Black Parade era My Chemical Romance in what seems like a call to arms with lyrics including ‘scream what you believe, and let yourself be seen’. Closing track Who Are You has a strong drum beat and is a great way to end the record.
Overall, this is an incredible record that shows the band’s maturing sound, while still keeping the theatrical elements. There is something for everyone here and it is definitely the quartet’s most impressive work to date. The skill on guitar is second-to-none and the vocals are beautifully overlaid, with a great range from Chad. I can’t give you a stand-out track because they are all mini-masterpieces. I am going to go all out and say that this is my favourite album of 2016!