At Night We Live

Far

Before their recent reformation and new album “At Night We Live”, Far were seemingly destined to be adored by a precious few and largely ignored in the rock pantheon. They were at once misunderstood and vastly ahead of their time. Much like their mid-90s counterparts Jawbox and Shudder to Think, they were an anomaly: intense, emotional rock without a macho stance. Far were too outside of the box, but they liked it that way. That's what made Far special: their music was a dialogue-starter for fans who were just like them.

No-one was more confused about the song's takeoff, than the band itself. It begged the question: What's next? And so the seeds of “At Night We Live”, the band's first new album in 12 years, were planted. Lopez started sending Matranga demos#to work on. Between a handful of casual shows, ideas were exchanged via e-mail. Haphazard trips to Lopez's studio in Los Angeles were made. Somehow, with all 4 band members living in different places, over several months, the record was finished.

The result is an album that references music as wide and varied as U2, Nine Inch Nails, Band Of Horses and Doves. “Deafening” features a monstrous riff, huge hooks and a confrontational, complex lyric. “Give Me A Reason” bounces and sways, somehow mellow and brutal simultaneously. Faithful as ever to their fans, the track “Fight Song #16,223241” features a scream-a-long vocal recorded by dozens of people around the world, submitted via the internet. Meanwhile, title track “At Night We Live” is based on a dream Matranga had about Chi Cheng, the Deftones bassist that remains incapacitated after a car accident. Overall, ”At Night We Live” maintains all the elements that define the band: soaring choruses, ear-splitting riffs, thought-provoking lyrics and sweeping dynamics.

Nothing good or worth fighting for ever comes easy, and that's abundantly clear with Far. Far lives on with “At Night We Live”.

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