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Track Listings
| 1. Into Oblivion [Reunion] |
| 2. The Great Wide Open |
| 3. The Diary |
| 4. On A Wire |
| 5. All Hands On Deck Part 1: Raise The Sail |
| 6. All Hands On Deck Part 2: Open Water |
| 7. Out Of Reach |
| 8. One For The Road |
| 9. Walk Away |
| 10. The Sweetest Wave |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In Tales Don’t Tell Themselves, Funeral For A Friend have penned their catchiest, most mainstream-friendly album to date. The band’s previous album, 2005’s Hours, saw Bridgend’s emo-tinged rockers soften their sound slightly, hardcore breakdowns and shrieked metal vocals receding and a more tuneful, melodic edge coming to the fore. On Tales..., Funeral walk further down this road. There’s little trace of the angry hardcore tykes who wrote songs like "The Art Of American Football", but songs like "Into Oblivion (Reunion)" and the Smashing Pumpkins-tinged "Open Water" are presented with the sort of anthemic widescreen that suggest My Chemical Romance should watch their back. Elsewhere, though, there’s signs of a growing songwriting maturity that might one day spring F4AF out of the punk ghetto for good: Matt Davies’ lyrics reach far beyond emo’s typical boy-meets-girl concerns, individual tracks linked by a narrative about a shipwrecked fisherman desperate to be reunited with his family, while the violin peaks and mighty drum rolls of "Raise The Sail" suggest Funeral For A Friend are eager to extend their musical palette. An impressive evolution. --Louis Pattison
Review
Tales Don't Tell Themselves is the third studio album from Welsh rockers Funeral For A Friend, and one that finds them in full-on top-of-cliff-helicopter-shot mode. Consisting of an arc of driving heartfelt rock songs, it tells the tale of a fisherman called David whose ship is wrecked and his subsequent emotional and physical journey back to land and his love.
Yup, you heard right, this is a concept album, and proud of it too. But before the memory of 70s prog and twenty minute solos grips you, all the songs here stand on their own individual merits as well as taking you through David's emotional voyage.
The first song, ''Into Oblivion (Reunion)'' opens with a nod to just those concept albums past with strings, synth, female choral backing and drums coming in slowly but, just as the fear starts to grip, the guitars hammer in and the band launch into a conventional but tightly produced emo epic. In true High Fidelity style, the next two tracks take it up another notch before ''On a Wire'' with its more introspective feel cools you down.
Just as well, because the two-part ''All Hands On Deck'' provides the guts of this album and marks it out as a mature and heroic third effort. Atmospheric, uplifting, energetic and just the right side of polished, these two songs show why FFaF have been an influence on quite a few bands, not least recent tour-mates Fightstar. The lyrics occasionally bow more to the need for rhyme than for sense ('for the road that we walk / have more miles left to talk') but the force of their argument carries it over such details with ease. There seems to be less complexity than in previous efforts and existing fans may feel a little short-changed, but those looking for an alternative to the powerful but often bleating strains of My Chemical Romance or the diet-rock of Fall Out Boy should take a listen.
TDTT sees the boys continuing to put clear blue water between themselves and their punkier beginnings, a process started with their last album, Hours, and continue to sail towards the holy grail of intelligent popular-without-selling-out rock-orientated emo. Thar be big fish in these waters, but FFaF have been charting a steady course and display the sort of musical maturity which could lift them up to their place in the pantheon, and soon if they're lucky. --Harry Holgate
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Okay, so Funeral For a Friend are a band that you either like, or you hate. It's that simple. Now I'm no authority on the emo-side of rock 'n' roll, but there was something that didn't sit right with me about the fact that Madina Lake's latest album has 5 stars from 33/35 of the reviewers, yet FFaF are struggling to achieve 4 stars?
Now let's get a bit of perspective here - the reason Madina Lake seem to be rated (as far as Amazon is concerned) above FFaF is for one reason: people who listen to FFaF, albeit involuntarily, know more about rock 'n' roll than people who (evidently) listen to Madina Lake. And if you don't believe that, consider this: people who don't like FFaF that much seem to feel the need to write reviews for FFaF albums than people who don't like Madina Lake albums. That's because FFaF are far more relevant than Madina Lake.
Now I'll tell you a truth: if you're looking for heavy rock or heavy metal, go some place else, okay? Funeral For a Friend are so far past the stage when they'd listen to people who moaned about the album version of 'Juneau' being worse than the LP that it's not even funny. Seriously, nobody cares. Sell out? Well hell, FFaF never even approached metallic legitimacy in the first place. Take your elitist emo tendencies and shove them.
Bottom line: what FFaF have created here is a soft rock album that appeals across the gamate of young/old, male/female. Not happy about that? Review something else. Maybe Madina Lake, for example.
I write this review because I feel FFaF have gotten a massively unfair rap. This album is as good as anything you'll hear by any other soft rock outfit. It's not prog. It's not meant to be. It's not heavy. It's not meant to be. It is, simply, quite superb soft rock. And it's quite epic in places. They don't have awful videos that chop and cut their music like 30 seconds from Mars, they don't have "we want to be emo" tendencies and yet fail like late Blink 182 albums, and they aren't as blatantly awful as Madina Lake.
So listen, in my opinion, if you want a superior soft rock album, by this. "Casually Dressed..." is slightly better, but what the heck. Buy them both. It's not that expensive. My advice: buy this album: FFaF can actually throw a riff, unlike half the dross that most of their fans listen to.
And this is from a metalhead.
Now let's get a bit of perspective here - the reason Madina Lake seem to be rated (as far as Amazon is concerned) above FFaF is for one reason: people who listen to FFaF, albeit involuntarily, know more about rock 'n' roll than people who (evidently) listen to Madina Lake. And if you don't believe that, consider this: people who don't like FFaF that much seem to feel the need to write reviews for FFaF albums than people who don't like Madina Lake albums. That's because FFaF are far more relevant than Madina Lake.
Now I'll tell you a truth: if you're looking for heavy rock or heavy metal, go some place else, okay? Funeral For a Friend are so far past the stage when they'd listen to people who moaned about the album version of 'Juneau' being worse than the LP that it's not even funny. Seriously, nobody cares. Sell out? Well hell, FFaF never even approached metallic legitimacy in the first place. Take your elitist emo tendencies and shove them.
Bottom line: what FFaF have created here is a soft rock album that appeals across the gamate of young/old, male/female. Not happy about that? Review something else. Maybe Madina Lake, for example.
I write this review because I feel FFaF have gotten a massively unfair rap. This album is as good as anything you'll hear by any other soft rock outfit. It's not prog. It's not meant to be. It's not heavy. It's not meant to be. It is, simply, quite superb soft rock. And it's quite epic in places. They don't have awful videos that chop and cut their music like 30 seconds from Mars, they don't have "we want to be emo" tendencies and yet fail like late Blink 182 albums, and they aren't as blatantly awful as Madina Lake.
So listen, in my opinion, if you want a superior soft rock album, by this. "Casually Dressed..." is slightly better, but what the heck. Buy them both. It's not that expensive. My advice: buy this album: FFaF can actually throw a riff, unlike half the dross that most of their fans listen to.
And this is from a metalhead.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I got this album a month ago and haven't stopped listening to it. It's a lighter album than the previous two but don't let this put you off. The vocals are amazing. There is not a bad song on it and it flows along in some order rather than being thrown together. The band have definatley matured resulting in a superior sound and undoubtably appealling to a wider audience. Some reviewers have slated it saying they shouldn't be classed as rockers anymore. If your a bit more open minded and not pigeon holed into one type of music then i would strongly recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In 2003 Funeral for a Friend released `Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation' their debut record and with its blend of soaring melodies, part screaming / part singing vocals and chugging power riffs launched this Welsh band into rock mainstream. 4 years have now passed and with there 3rd album `Tales Don't Tell Themselves' FFAF may just have released their finest work thus far.
Their last record `Hours' suggested that they where starting to evolve from the band that gave us `Juneau' and `The Art of American Football'. The hardcore breakdowns and jagged post- punk noise replaced with a more rounded, focused and overall more melodic sound; most noticeably the aggressive vocals making way to allow lead singer Matt Davies to stretch his singing range.
`TDTT' whilst being a concept album certainly does delivers the band's most mainstream material to date and therefore their most accessible album. As the record flows along, every song seems to fit perfectly next to each other and nearly all of them sound like they where written to be played in mammoth arenas with thousands of people raising their arms aloft whilst belting out the words. `On a Wire' is destined to become a new crowd favourite with its "Find a way to bring me home" refrain and there are plenty more songs on here for people to scream their lungs out too.
While this dramatic change in sound and song structure may annoy the hardcore fans it really shouldn't matter one bit as this is a great rock record which is certain to win them plenty of new fans.
Every song on this album is huge; and the grand theme for the entire record is set right from the get go. As `Into Oblivion (Reunion)' kicks in with an electro synth, dramatic string backing and haunting choral arrangement before making way to soaring guitar lick and uplifting chorus which hears Davies claim "I stared, into oblivion and found my own" you can't help getting swept along with it all...it's a breathtaking opener to the record.
Concept albums can be tricky business; to often the concept becoming bigger than the record itself. `TDTT' thankfully doesn't full into this category instead it's a rather grand tale about a sailor shipwrecked in the middle of the sea, the record chronicling his thoughts and fears; which are in part are based on Davies's own personal phobia of the ocean.
The 6 minute closer `The Sweetest Wave' could be the best thing the band has ever put down on record. A huge, grand cinematic epic of a song with a sweeping orchestral backing that builds into an explosive crescendo that's as invigorating as blast of sea spray to the face.
`Tales Don't Tell Themselves' is an exceptional record. While many bands are happy to stick too rigidly to what they know, this is the sound of a band progressing and having done so with fantastic results the future output of this band looks as if it could be very promising indeed.
Their last record `Hours' suggested that they where starting to evolve from the band that gave us `Juneau' and `The Art of American Football'. The hardcore breakdowns and jagged post- punk noise replaced with a more rounded, focused and overall more melodic sound; most noticeably the aggressive vocals making way to allow lead singer Matt Davies to stretch his singing range.
`TDTT' whilst being a concept album certainly does delivers the band's most mainstream material to date and therefore their most accessible album. As the record flows along, every song seems to fit perfectly next to each other and nearly all of them sound like they where written to be played in mammoth arenas with thousands of people raising their arms aloft whilst belting out the words. `On a Wire' is destined to become a new crowd favourite with its "Find a way to bring me home" refrain and there are plenty more songs on here for people to scream their lungs out too.
While this dramatic change in sound and song structure may annoy the hardcore fans it really shouldn't matter one bit as this is a great rock record which is certain to win them plenty of new fans.
Every song on this album is huge; and the grand theme for the entire record is set right from the get go. As `Into Oblivion (Reunion)' kicks in with an electro synth, dramatic string backing and haunting choral arrangement before making way to soaring guitar lick and uplifting chorus which hears Davies claim "I stared, into oblivion and found my own" you can't help getting swept along with it all...it's a breathtaking opener to the record.
Concept albums can be tricky business; to often the concept becoming bigger than the record itself. `TDTT' thankfully doesn't full into this category instead it's a rather grand tale about a sailor shipwrecked in the middle of the sea, the record chronicling his thoughts and fears; which are in part are based on Davies's own personal phobia of the ocean.
The 6 minute closer `The Sweetest Wave' could be the best thing the band has ever put down on record. A huge, grand cinematic epic of a song with a sweeping orchestral backing that builds into an explosive crescendo that's as invigorating as blast of sea spray to the face.
`Tales Don't Tell Themselves' is an exceptional record. While many bands are happy to stick too rigidly to what they know, this is the sound of a band progressing and having done so with fantastic results the future output of this band looks as if it could be very promising indeed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great album
I bought this album on the strength of the first track Into Oblivion but was pleasantly surprised by how good the rest of it is. The Great Wide Open is another stand out track. Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2008 by LM1980
What happened?
I bought this album after being pleasantly surprised with seeing the band - one of my friends asked which albums I already had, and my reply was "just Hours" and he said "only go... Read more
Published on 21 April 2008 by S. Ozols
what happened?
I loved Casually Dressed and Hours less so but this is so disappointing
Gone is the anger and urgency of the first album. This sounds like another pop album. Read more
Gone is the anger and urgency of the first album. This sounds like another pop album. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2008 by D. M. Hughes
Great album.
I like every songs on it. It's very melodic and meaningful. I think it's one of the best albums this year to buy.
Published on 25 Oct 2007 by littlem
A must buy
The CD is great, every track ha its own variations that stops the album from being boring by the beat and rythem being similar unlike the three cheers for sweet revenge by my... Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2007 by Joe L
different album but brilliant
usually im not the biggest fan of bands changing thier stylr from heavier music to lighter like lostprophets for instance but this album is superb it has some real brilliant songs... Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2007 by Mr. C. A. Robinson
Different, and so it should be
I just need to start with all the people who have currently reviewed this album purely based on their (amazing) previous offerings. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2007 by J. Spencer
Growth
This is a great album, and I think that some reviewers have been a little harsh in their comparisons. While this is a lighter album than 'Hours', this does not make it worse. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2007 by Grover
FFAF have turned into Mcfly
After the first two albums i bought this on the day of release especially after reading Kerrangs glowing review. Well i'm sad to say i quickly turned it off again. Read more
Published on 30 July 2007 by Barry Fowles
from a fossil
heard some of there tracks over the years not been to fussed.heard 2 tracks off this album and got it.was amazed.excellent vocals,with guitar and piano. Read more
Published on 26 July 2007 by D. abbott
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