Funeral For A Friend

And lo, the album where Funeral For A Friend realise their dream of making a Bon Jovi record. Kinda. Sure, it’s a more positive work than ‘Hours’, but while frontman Matt Davies’ transition from apocalyptic yoof-preacher to hoodied motivational speaker will definitely leave listeners with an extended sense of self-belief, the winsome angst that once drove songs such as ‘Streetcar’ has all but disappeared. Sometimes it works, as on the deceptively brilliant ‘Into Oblivion (Reunion)’ – easily the best song FFAF have written – but occasionally it flounders into daft: the Audioslave posi-rock of ‘All Hands On Deck – Part 2: Open Water’. Oh yeah, and did we mention it’s a concept album about a fisherman?

Mike Sterry