First To Leave - Forging A Future

Band Members
Matt Foster - Vocals, Guitar
Zack Lindenberg - Bass
Justin Mellor - Drums
Ben Hirschfield – Guitar

FirstToLeave.org
Myspace.com/FirstToLeave



Tracklisting
1. The Saving Cycle
2. My Aim is True
3. Keep Moving
4. Two Guns, One Mile
5. The Blind Man!
6. Drag the Lake
7. Revival (Starts and Ends)
8. Past the Red Line
9. 13 Frames
10. You’re the Canyons
11. We’re Both Twenty
12. Maybe Next Year

Hailing from San Francisco, ‘First to Leave’ has produced an interesting and delightful treat in the form of their debut album ‘Forging A Future’. The whole notion of a debut album is not only to test the water out for the future but to make a stamp on the scene as to who you are and what can be excepted from a band. ‘First to Leave’ have clearly saved the cream of their talents to hold up as their signature piece on this record. Even for a UK listener such as me, you can’t help but feel the warmth of the San Francisco sun as you listen to the pulsating punk anthems on ‘Forging a Future’. Any of these tracks could quite easily have be found in the early demo styles of any modern punk band but there is a unique flavour in ‘First to Last’s’ debut that defines them in the pact as something special.

Each track holds its own, capturing the American punk sound and moulding it in their own image of what it should be; and the raw grit vocals meeting the skilled performances should in theory conflict but do nothing but compliment each other beautifully. ‘Forging A Future’ is how punk should be like, technically and lyrically rehearsed and perfected but when performed should appear totally spontaneous and magical for that reason.

Tracks for your attention are ‘You’re the Canyons’, ‘My Aim is True’ and ‘Drag the Lake’ which give you a sweet taste of the album, the potential and talent in the guys and the excitement for more.


Reviewed by Laura Heath


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