Means - Sending You Strength
Rating
RIYL
BelovedRosesdead
Life In Your Way
Release Date
03/06/2007
Label
Facedown RecordsTracklist
1. Looking For Life2. Learning To Be Brave
3. The Promise
4. Connected
5. Where Truth Is Told
6. Cadences
7. These Are The Words
8. Throw Open The Gates
9. Through The Wires
10. I Choose Her Over Light
11. Down To The Spark
12. On The Broken
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I had high hopes for Means’ Facedown Records debut, Sending You Strength. After listening to this album several times, I can honestly say I really enjoy it. I am a sucker for melodic hardcore with positive messages and uplifting tunes and this record is right up that alley. I also have come to a realization that my hopes had been too high for this record, and its flaws take from the overall good feeling given off by the album.
On first listen, Sending You Strength hit me pretty hard and in a good way. The vocals, if they were being yelled or sung, had a pleasing affect on me and the music sounded just fine. After a couple more listens there were things that began to bother me. One thing that bugs me about this album is that the singing, which is different yet very cool, tends to get a little repetitive throughout the CD. It seems like he is singing in either the same pitch in almost every song, or he is actually singing the exact same melodies throughout the tracks.
Another thing that lowered my excitement for this disc is the amount of boring heavy parts that slow down the songs' positive flow and momentum. I think if there were less breakdowns and synchronized two-steps, and they inserted more melodic guitar parts that they play so well, this album would be much more enjoyable to listen to. For example, “Learning To Be Brave” begins beautifully with its stellar singing parts and melodic guitars, but the middle of the song is just a slow stop of open D that just goes on too long. It would have been perfect if it were just one part, but it transitions into layers of mosh parts. The end of the song is also brilliant with a spacey slower part that gave me the idea that the album would include more beautiful sections like this, but in the end it doesn’t deliver.
With all of this said, I probably do enjoy this album more than you think, but these are just a few problems I had with it that needed to be said. If there were just a few tweaks in the song writing, and a more diverse singing range, this album would indeed be less repetitive to listen to. I do have to say though, the track “Connected” is one of the more uplifting and motivating tracks with a wonderful positive message that I adore and, overall, the song just kicks so much ass. So if you are a fan of those sorts of songs, you may want to check out Means.
--Chris Pandolfo
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Anyway, very enjoyable album, though a bit boring after repeated listens. I'd rank it on par with or maybe just under Life In Your Way's new album. Cadences is far and away the best track on here.
PA