TALES DON’T TELL THEMSELVES - FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
Funeral for a Friend vaults over its post-hardcore foundation and lands smack into driving pop/rock on “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves,” completely clearing the emo boundary marker. This has fans already twittering online that the band has gone radio-friendly. The concept record of a fisherman lost at sea offers metaphors aplenty (longing, loss, fear, passing the time) that directly apply to the lives of musicians. But aside from grand moments like “All Hands on Deck — Part 1: Raise the Sail” and the orchestral wall that builds on “The Sweetest Wave,” you don’t get the feeling that a continuous story binds the album together. Still, “Into Oblivion (Reunion),” “Out of Reach” and “Walk Away” charge onward with such optimism and hope there’s little doubt of a happy ending at the end of this “Tale.” (Atlantic Records) Reuters/Billboard
