Rome Hero Foxes – “For When You’re Falling Backwards” Review
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
The first few seconds of For When You’re Falling Backwards distort what one might hear throughout the 47 minute record. It’s not in a negative lighting, just a glimpse at the many different talents that Rome Hero Foxes possess. The immediate sound is stylistically related to the early 2000s post-hardcore of At The Drive In, Saosin or Thursday which is perfect because that genre will make a huge comeback in 2016. Yes, you read that right and you read it here first. Melodic yet discordant, opening track “Falling Out” falls right into place with its urgent vocals and blistering guitar lines.
Instead of continuing with the abrasive side of the genre, Rome Hero Foxes take on a very pretty side that is blended with glittery post-rock leads akin to plenty of current emo groups a la Foxing on “Hunter”. “Two Friends, Three Days” plays out through a dark concept that involves remorse and loss, the only problem with the track is the chorus is very monotonously sung and takes away the emotional response I should have felt. It’s a bit too pretty if you ask me, not being helped by the synthetic feel of the vocals as well. Rome Hero Foxes shine brightest when they are sprawling through technical patterns shaped by the melody instead of shaping a melody by pounding it over and over. Take “A Note For My Departure” as an example. When you think you know where the song will turn it hardens into a minor chord that augments the natural progression. It’s crafty and twisted sounding, allowing for a natural place for desperation to settle.
Regardless, Rome Hero Foxes are not boring anyone by any means with their softer, more pleasant sounding tracks. C.j. Burton’s vocal delivery – while on the higher end plenty of times – matches the pace and density of the music in most spots. On “Tied Down” he is pensive and collective during the softer verses and more harmoniously vibrant during the pop-punk progression in the chorus. His rise and fall with the music is reminiscent of Tyler Carter (Issues, Woe, Is Me). He has command of his range and is not afraid to bring a bit of pop influence into a song (“The Great Hall”). It’s times like these where I sit and wonder if this really is the same band from the first few seconds of the record. Here they are very straight forward and without much distractions to satisfy that original post-hardcore sound. Here we are gliding with an indie band using plenty of melodies to push a reflective and nostalgic song through our ears.
For When You’re Falling Backwards is a record that will find plenty of people falling in love with songs and finding others harder to love. It’s a natural feeling for a band that blends and writes plenty of styles into one cohesive project. That being said, Rome Hero Foxes made sure to leave something for everyone to take out of the eleven tracks. For those looking for an entire song that encompasses every ounce of talent that the sextet have, look no further than “All I’ve Ever Been,” the penultimate song.
This record is yet another release from Esque Records by Kurt Travis (A Lot Like Birds), pick it up here!
Score: 6.75/10