Artist: For Against
Title: December
Label: Words On Music
Recommended for fans of: Factory Records, 4AD Records, Joy Division, The Chameleons, Comsat Angels, early R.E.M., Pale Saints, Kitchens of Distinction
Format: CD
Condition: New (Sealed, mint)
Cost: $5.99
Shipping: $5.25 USA (USPS Ground Advantage; inquire for Media Mail rates); $15.75 Canada (1st Class International); $17.50 elsewhere (1st Class International); Ships within 24 hours upon receipt of payment. Reduced per unit shipping rate for multiple CDs purchased from seller.
Reviews: "For Against’s
second LP is their finest. An emotionally stark, chilling record and one of the
finest dream pop records made.” - ALL MUSIC GUIDE
"December is a stunner, a
high-water mark for UK-inspired American music. A remarkable and ambitious
effort.” - Trouser Press
Description: Originally released on INDEPENDENT PROJECT RECORDS in 1988, December is a fan favorite and is unparalleled in the annals of post-punk for its unique blend of aggressive, atmospheric, and melodic songwriting. The album is also now largely considered to be a forerunner of the dream pop scene popularized in England just a few years later (PALE SAINTS, KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION). This WORDS ON MUSIC re-release of December has been remastered from the original studio tapes and is issued in a six-panel digipak design by two-time GRAMMY nominee BRUCE LICHER. The CD also includes two rare, FOR AGAINST videos shot in 1987, never before commercially available.
A ferocious rhythm section launches December with "Sabres" as drummer Greg Hill finds room for fills in spaces upon which most drummers would not even dare to encroach. Singer Jeffrey Runnings continues to intrigue by conveying his dark (and at times obscure) lyrics in a deceptively boyish delivery. Runnings' punctuated bass lines propel "Stranded in Greenland," while guitarist Harry Dingman's melodies weave ever more pronounced circles around the rhythms within.
"Svengali" recalls the best of Chronic Town-era R.E.M. with Hill’s quick tom-tom fills and Dingman’s nimble, repetitive picking intervals in the spotlight. On “They Said,” Runnings' vocals and Dingman's melodies gracefully dip in and out of the chorus, and a coda replete with orchestral-sounding 12-string sweeps escorts the song to its melancholic end.
Brooding elements from FOR AGAINST's debut album Echelons, most evident in the prominent basslines of the 6/8-metered "The Effect." Echoed guitar work and repetitive JOY DIVISION-esque basslines create a dark structure onto which Runnings' chilling vocals are on prominent display. A crushing two-note guitar melody lingers during the sparse passages of the album’s measured title track.
Improbable harmonics add sparkling touches to "The Last Laugh" and “Paperwhites.” December closes with "Clandestine High Holy” on which Dingman's guitar teeters on the edge of feedback while Runnings pounds out fierce basslines that would make GANG OF FOUR blush. Ending the album in spectacular fashion, Dingman propels the band through a minute-plus coda with cascading chord progressions that simply bring chills to the spine. December is the rare album that delivers as both a post-punk and a dream pop masterpiece.