The Moon Is Down (album)

The Moon Is Down
Studio album by Further Seems Forever
Released	March 27, 2001
Recorded	September 28-November 1, 2000
Genre	Indie rock, Christian rock, emo
Length	38:53
Label	Tooth & Nail
Producer	James Paul Wisner
Further Seems Forever chronology
From the 27th State (1999) The Moon Is Down (2001) How to Start a Fire (2003)

The Moon Is Down is the debut album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2001 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's first full-length album. After replacing singer and songwriter Brian Rey Richardson, more trouble befell the band as singer Chris Carrabba had already decided to leave the band to focus on his new project, Dashboard Confessional, but joined them in the studio to record the album.^[1] Dominguez left the band the following year to start the record label Pop Up Records. The two were replaced by Jason Gleason and Derick Cordoba, respectively, for the band's next album How to Start a Fire. A music video was filmed for the song "Snowbirds and Townies."

Reception

Rick Anderson of Allmusic rated The Moon Is Down four stars out of five, saying that it "kind of sneaks up on you. At first, as the title track eases crunchily through its first minute, you say to yourself, 'Oh, great, another emo band that has lots of deep feelings but can't be bothered to write a tune or impose any kind of structure on its songs.' Then the chorus hits ... Cathartic, tuneful, soaring — what are they going to do for the rest of the album? Well, it turns out they're going to do the same thing, over and over, with occasional digressions into triple meter. But although the conceit remains pretty much the same, it doesn't ever get tiresome; this band's ability to combine relatively dense guitar rock with an edge of experimentalism and a deep undertow of emotional uplift is more than just impressive — it's practically inspiring."^[2]

Track listing

All songs written by Further Seems Forever except where indicated

1. "The Moon Is Down" - 3:12
2. "The Bradley" - 3:01
3. "Snowbirds and Townies" - 4:26
4. "Monachetti" - 2:42
5. "Madison Prep" - 2:54
6. "New Year's Project" - 4:14
7. "Just Until Sundown" (Further Seems Forever/Matthew Ian Fox) - 3:14
8. "Pictures of Shorelines" - 3:12
9. "Wearing Thin" - 2:59
10. "A New Desert Life"/untitled hidden track - 8:52
11. "Say It Ain't So"* (Rivers Cuomo; originally performed by Weezer) - 4:03
12. "Vengeance Factor"** - 2:46

*Included on the vinyl LP release only.
**Included on the Japanese import version of the album only.

Personnel

• Chris Carrabba - vocals
• Josh Colbert - guitar
• Nick Dominguez - guitar
• Chad Neptune - bass
• Steve Kleisath - drums
• James Paul Wisner - keys

Album information

• Record label: Tooth & Nail Records
• Recorded September 28-November 1, 2000 at Wisner Productions. Drum tracks recorded at The Dungeon.
• Produced and engineered by James Paul Wisner.
• Assistant engineer: Joe at The Dungeon.
• Design by Mark Owens.
• Photography by Dan Ellis.

References