Album Review :
Forever Changed "Chapters"

“Forever Changed is breaking up.” This announcement a few months ago left some stunned. A young, eager, and talented alternative rock band just starting to make a name for themselves decided to call it quits because their singer decided to leave in order to focus on his family more. This is not an uncommon story in the music scene (which is a good thing to see musicians being responsible about their family lives). Forever Changed decided to release one last CD before leaving this band behind, and this is how Chapters eventually landed into my hands.

Chapters starts off on unsure ground with “Never Look Down.” This song is alright, but I have a hard time sitting through the boring chorus. However, this album soon makes up for this flaw with the next track, “Starting to Sink,” a darker tune about a man with ill-gotten financial success with a strong solo towards the end and some dark “woah oh”s in the chorus. From here on out, the songs seem to focus on one girl and her relationship with the singer, Dan Cole. These songs trace through his heartache as they start to fall apart. Meanwhile, the rest of the band is providing some of the best bass lines I’ve heard on a release of this sort along with lots of clever guitar work and tremendous guitar solos towards the end of about half of the songs. Despite this great description, there is one very important thing lacking on this release. The entire time, I find myself just craving a catchy chorus, but it only comes once or twice. Not even on “The Disconnect,” which starts out kind of dancy, is the mood lightened. As much as I want it to be, the mood is not lightened once throughout this entire disc.

If I had to summarize Chapters in one word, it would be serious. That’s not a bad thing in itself, and Forever Changed plays these serious songs quite well, but after a while it can be a little overbearing. Upon first listen, I was unsure. Upon second or third, I was bored. But now this album has grown on me and I can get into these songs. I look forward to checking out new bands that may spring from the ashes of Forever Changed.

6/10