Change Never Lasts

Recently a wave of melodic pop-punk has swept the punk scene off it’s feet, as many hardcore bands have begun to lighten up and unashamedly show their softer sides, I.E Title Fight, The First Annual. Riding this wave can be dangerous however as it is quite easy to be sucked under by the immense pressure of mediocrity found within this sub genre. Before this tide of emotionally tinged music reemerged from the depths of punk’s abyss to torture the good people of “enter obscure island here” with its undeniably catchy hooks and feel good anthems, there were hints of its arrival. One of these hints being First To Leave’s 2005 release Change Never Lasts.

Taking some of the best elements from bands such as Saves The Day, Jawbreaker, The Descendants and The Movielife, the Bay Area’s First To Leave did not falter on their efforts to create an album filled with hook laden mid tempo grooves and songs about your ex girlfriend. Singer/guitarist Matt Foster’s soothing, yet harsh, voice carries the band along as memories of good times and cordial smiles wash over the listeners mind. The opening track “Making Waves” starts the party with a booming tom heavy fill by drummer Murtaza Sajjad that creates a chasm like opening, allowing rich and crunchy guitar sounds and a chant heavy countdown to flood through this void, taking the listener along with them. 

The stand out track on this album is by far “Operation” a heartfelt, well written, high energy tune about wasted time and missed opportunities. Beginning with a short solo effort by Foster it quickly breaks away into a high speed melodic chase heading straight for the rocks. Upon reaching the cliffside it takes a plunge into the unknown with a pounding build up and a weak pitch harmonic leading into a groovy mid tempo bridge. As the song slowly flies to the depths Foster says his last goodbyes with the lines “A world away, we’ll be envy,” backed by the lines “you and I are overrated/please don’t let me overstate it,” “while guitarist Michael Sterns slowly hypnotizes the listener into a  peaceful sleep.

Mostly sticking to what they know, mid tempo melodic pop-punk, First To Leave seems to have comfortably snuggled into their niche. However there are two tracks where the band decided, why not? Lets stick a limb out. One of these being the acoustic ballad “Amber Sunlight” a song that brings to mind high school sweet hearts, summer nights and open windows. The soothing vocals compiled in the background really tie together the sweet and bright sounds of Foster’s guitar with the overall warm feeling of the song. The influence of earlier Saves The Day surfaces with this song and the other breakaway track “Under Arms.” This song showcases the bands heaver side with a racing Can’t Slow Down era stampede that burns out into a toe tapping floater, closing the song with a quick burst of energy. Branching out can be a good thing, however this track seems slightly out of place and a little too hard for the rest of the album, although a good tribute to STD.

First To Leave effectively cemented their core sound with this album and would continue to as the years went by. The light yet crunchy sounds of their guitars, backed by the thunder of the bass and drums and Foster’s nasally well executed voice bring together a sound that has been copied by many, especially in the Bay Area. As a burgeoning pop-punk scene grows in the area all should be paying thanks to a band that made so many waves, pun intended, within the scene. I for one am glad to hear that the guys in First To Leave are still at it and look forward to more great times from them. 

Rating: 3.8/5