Along with the likes of Failure and Sunny Day Real Estate, Far were considered one of the more influential outfits to emerge from the darkly emotive alternative direction post hardcore took in the late 90’s. Following their original split in 1999, the group splintered off into a number of projects which while certainly earnest in intent, largely failed to really make a dent – so much so that the band are probably perhaps best known by the youth of today for their various pairings with their proverbial brother band the Deftones.
That kinship remains to this day with “At Night We Live” going so far as to take its name from a song the band wrote for ailing Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who has been left in a semi-conscious state since his 2008 car accident. What doesn’t remain however is the bands confidence and penchant for catchy songwriting. Aside from a handful of propulsive tracks, much of “At Night We Live” finds itself hopelessly entangled in introspective melancholy.
A tepid exercise in heart worn rough indie edges and forced glossy pop overtones, a large number of the songs featured here do little to separate themselves from the wave of contemporary bands already traveling similar avenues. While the album certainly has some touching numbers and a few memorable performances, a large part of it sadly falls flat, lacking in both memorable hooks and ideas.
Clearly the band are trying to make it work, but the material still feels hindered by the walls the members built around themselves during their time apart. That said, the group have certainly improved as musicians individually and each member is doing their part to push the songs forward; but somehow “At Night We Live” never truly feels like a unified effort and suffers in the end for it.
