For All Those Sleeping

Cross Your Fingers

Written by: BL on 11/02/2011 17:57:16

For All Those Sleeping are a band that is so easy to just walk by and not give any notice to. Just yet another band using the flavour of the month, hot topic approach of combining pop-punk with metalcore breakdowns, with that super scene look and sound that attracts the fankids (or fangirls more likely) no doubt, but would probably struggle to defend itself when you question it's original merits and intent. At least that's pretty much how I felt when I first heard the debut album "Cross Your Fingers". The sound is exactly, and I mean almost exactly, what you get if you took something like "For Those Who Have Heart"-era A Day To Remember and combined it with the clean vocal style of Broadway. See what I mean?

But you know what, For All Those Sleeping have done something right that just manages to tickle some kind of response in me that made me listen to it more than I would have pictured doing so at the beginning. The choruses on most of the songs are simple but catchy as hell, I mean seriously catchy. Okay so the high pitched vocals from frontman Mike Champa (at least I think it's him, three members of the band all sing and scream) have very little individuality about them, but he just seems to know how to use his vocal melodies to entice you to happily and subconsciously sing-a-long to some of the most basic lyrics you will find in the genre - even then songs like "I Hate To See You Go" has this childish appeal about it thanks to the incredibly simple lyrics. And if nothing else this album is consistent in the hooks department, "Never Leave Northfield", "I'm Not Dead Yet", "I Hate To See You Go", "Favourite Liar" and "If I Wanted Your Two Cents I'd Rob You" all are winners of the prize for catchy-as-fuck-choruses that refuse to disappear.

One thing that does bother me a lot, and still does, is the fact that the heavy sections just feel a bit too forced and there for the sake of being there. I can find it just as annoying as the next cynic about how songwriters shouldn't just resort to inserting some breakdowns to link parts together to give them that pseudo-heavy label. The one decent thing I suppose that comes from all this is that at least the breakdowns feel energetic and tempo-wise not too obstrusive and could be crowd pleasers in a live setting. The screaming that accompanies these sections is again a bit like A Day To Remember, only not only is there super deep growls, but piercing high pitched shrieks that when combined - frankly both sound absurd yet highly amusing when you compare to the super sensitive clean vocals and the numerous additions of gang chants. It's ever so silly, but on some removed level of seriousness, also somewhat entertaining if you can appreciate said bands I've mentioned.

I'm not going to lie to anybody, if you are tired of this style of music then For All Those Sleeping isn't going to make you feel any better any time soon and I recommend you stay far, far away. But if you, like me, enjoy good traditional hooks and melodies and really catchy pop-punk style choruses and aren't afraid to admit it - then you might be able to spin this record a few times and find a few tracks to your liking. I'm sure fans of A Day To Remember and Broadway should both be able to get into this no problem (as if that wasn't already obvious by now). Just remember not to take anything too seriously.

Download: Never Leave Northfield, I Hate To See You Go, Favourite Liar
For the fans of: Broadway, A Day To Remember
Listen: Myspace

Release Date: 20.07.2010
Fearless Records

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