Farewell

Farewell

Like most bands I get into, I was introduced to Farewell when they were opening for someone else. Specifically, Pittsburgh band Punchline on absolutepunk.net's Next Favorite Band tour in September. While I enjoy most openers I saw - especially for Punchline, who tend to have the best openers I've ever heard - Farewell was one of the few that made me love them almost immediately. I bought both of their albums at their merch stand right after the show. I spent all the cash I had on me that night. I'm usually really cheap. You get the point.

Hailing from North Carolina, they're described as "pop punk", which in my opinion is a term thrown around as carelessly & thoughtlessly as "emo." They were tapped to tour with Cartel but the tour was canceled, & have appeared with the likes of Houston Calls & cite Green Day, Jawbreaker, & Alkaline Trio as influences.

Musically, the "pop" part makes a little bit of sense. Their songs are catchy & fun, they're good with harmonies & melodies, throw in just the right amount of keyboards, & lead singer Marshall has a strong, clean voice reminiscent of Mark Hoppus. And he's a really nice guy. He sold me the CDs (and then my brother took them). Plus, they know how to write a good song, capturing subjects familiar to rock yet ones we're not tired of hearing about. When it comes right down to it, Farewell is a good, solid, talented rock band. And they're an excellent time live.

"Start It Up" gets stuck in my head a lot. I'm also a big fan of "Devoid (That's What I Think About It)" that has the gem of a line that says, "So when did rock 'n' roll become this fucking fashion show?" which I loved. One reviewer complained about it, claiming some form of hypocrisy, but methinks he missed the point.

Unfortunately, some of the songs I most highly recommend aren't available on their MySpace. But if you can find 'em, listen.

Farewell's MySpace. Listen.

Songs to listen to that I haven't already mentioned: "Zelda," "Cut You a New Smile," "We All Fall Down," "A Collect Call to Arms," "Sucker Bait," "Priorities Intact."