There For Tomorrow – The Verge
Record Label: Hopeless Records
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Real talk: When There For Tomorrow first started to make a national presence, I didn't get "it." I didn't understand what made the band special. Then I heard "The Joyride" off of the band's full length, The Verge, and got "it." This isn't a band concerned with the superfluous things in music, they just want to create their own brand of rock 'n roll.
On the band's previous records, you could tell the members were searching for a certain depth and dynamic but couldn't quite obtain it. Might as well throw that notion completely out the window because There For Tomorrow finds the sound they've been searching for, and believe me, it's a damn good one. The band enlisted famed rock producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Story of the Year, Alter Bridge, Puddle of Mudd) to man the boards and help bring the band to levels they've never previously attained.
There are two standout tracks on the album for me: "The Joyride" and "Hunt Hunt Hunt." Both of these only hint at the untapped potential this band has in front of them.
"The Joyride" is by far the catchiest track on the album, but that's not what makes it stand out among the others. This is There For Tomorrow obtaining an arena rock status sound and getting out of the "scene." The dynamics are aplenty. The guitar tones are perfected to give the band a true identity. It seems like lead guitarist Christian Climer really spent a lot of time to get a guitar sound that truly makes it unique to the band. Singer/guitarist Maika Maile really shines throughout the entire record, but in particular on this song as he belts "Let's take the high road/To where ever you are."
"Hunt Hunt Hunt" was the lead single from the album. This is where There For Tomorrow embraces the sound on its EP, Pages, and brings it up to the date with the band's much improved sound. Chris Kamrada's drumming is top notch on this record. He didn't write any complicated or technical parts, he sticks to playing solid rhythm and it translates so well onto the album. It makes everything flow smoothly throughout the entire album.
The sad part about a lot of albums today is that they are extremely front heavy. By this I mean that the good tracks are on the first half and the second half are filler songs. However, maybe my personal favorite on the record is the last track, "I'd Be Changing If I Were You." It is by far the band's most aggressive track on the album and kind of unexpected. It's a heavy hitter that brings to mind crossover bands like Anberlin with a ton of energy and ferocity. This might be bassist Jay Enriquez's best work on the album. His bass lines really pack a punch in this song and meld everything together.
One thing that did bother me was what seemed to be a lot of production on Maile's voice. The guy can sing with power and has an amazing tone to his voice. I feel at times that it was masked by a lot of unneeded editing. I would have preferred to hear a more organic and raw sound from him, but this is just a minor pet peeve.
There For Tomorrow is a band that is one song away from crossing over into the mainstream. They show the ability to write some very accessible songs like "The Joyride" and "Hunt Hunt Hunt" but have stepped into a different realm that a lot of bands their age have not even thought about. The future is bright for There For Tomorrow.
Love this band, do not like this record. It's tough, cause these guys were probably my favorite band before this record, putting out exceptional material time after time.
Love this band, do not like this record. It's tough, cause these guys were probably my favorite band before this record, putting out exceptional material time after time.
i've liked these guys for a while, but i actually didn't like "hunt hunt hunt" the first time i heard it and thought i would hate the album because of that song even though i loved "the joyride." needless to say, i was completely wrong and i love the album way way way more than i thought i would and agree that they found the sound they were looking for.
I really couldn't get into this album that much. When ALF came out, they were one of my favorite bands, but this time around the new album didn't do much for me. I definitely need to revisit this soon though.
I really couldn't get into this album that much. When ALF came out, they were one of my favorite bands, but this time around the new album didn't do much for me. I definitely need to revisit this soon though.
This.
It's slightly growing on me. But the hooks are pretty much non-existant, and that saddens me.
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