In Some Way, Shape Or Form.
It’s been 10 years since a group of bearded, shouty, magnificent bastards first came together in Massachusetts to for Four Year Strong. It’s a major milestone which has been marked by the release of the bands fourth studio album: In Some Way, Shape Or Form.
The changes are clear from the start, with The Infected showing off an angrier, slightly more anthemic sound than previous albums. This impression quickly wears though, as slap-dash and jarring nature of the collection of songs on offer becomes apparent. Falling On You does have some solid rhythms, but it relies on some really hackneyed rhymes, the lyrical content amounts to nothing more impressive than hormonal teenage poetry. It’s a similar story with Unbreakable which is a truly sphincter clenchingly cringe-worthy dedication to people that it’s hard to describe an anything other than socially retarded.
There are a few gems here among the myriad of misadventures. Heaven Wasn’t Built To Hold Me breaks new ground for the band, and they really pull it off, showcasing an interesting new musical direction. Fight The Future sounds like it could have come from their last album; admittedly played at half speed.
Only The Meek Get Pinched. The Bold Survive starts with the unusual but by no means unwelcome addition of a piano. This track really betrays the FYS’s desire to evolve since the departure of Josh Lyford earlier this year after the band elected to remove synth from their music.
This is really a decent album, and no doubt if it had been released by a group of newcomers rather than these seasoned vets it would generate a lot of buzz. But this is a disappointing follow up to Enemy Of The World; the kind of sloppy afterbirth that only Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall could get excited about.
Undoubtedly for the hardcore fans this will become a welcome addition to the canon, but unfortunately it’s unlikely to win over any new followers.
In Some Way, Shape Or Form is available now through Decaydance/Motown Records.
