Thursday, February 18, 2016

Face to Face - Protection (2016, Fat Wreck Chords)

So, last night I was informed by the great guys in Fat Wreck that I could lay my (digital) hands on the new Face to Face album called Protection
Face to Face apart from being the Cali punk veterans they are, in my eyes, they are one of the very honest bands out there. OK maybe they never were the top name when it came to Cali punk but they have clearly offered the scene a lot throughout the years.
Straight to the album then.



First thing you easily notice is the realy clean cut production. This album was recorded at the infamous Blasting Room in Colorado and of course taken care by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, Descendents etc.) and Jason Livermore who apparently was the one that made the drums sound so good.
As for the tracks, the album contains 11 songs of easy-going, midtempo, highly melodic punk rock music. The songs sound more.."punk" if I may say so than the previous album (Three chords and a half truth) which wasn't my favorite to be honest. Of course, the emotional element is pretty apparent in Protection as well (i.e. I won't say) and if you are expecting the skate punk rock sound of Don't turn away, then this album is definitely not for you. To me, this is the band asking for a second chance for their more melodic style and I can give them that, no matter how much I prefer the old sound.

All in all the album is a pretty smooth and easy listen. If you like melodic punk rock this is an album you'd maybe dig. Make sure you give it a try.

Tracklist:

1. Bent But Not Broken
2. I Won’t Say I’m Sorry
3. Double Crossed
4. See If I Care
5. Say What You Want
6. Protection
7. Fourteen Fifty-Nine
8. It Almost All Went Wrong
9. Keep Your Chin Up
10. Middling Around
11. And So It Goes