20th anniversary review: Further Seems Forever – “The Moon Is Down”

This review is part of a series looking back at significant albums on their anniversaries. Through the benefit of hindsight we will be viewing the album not just as it was released, but how it stands the test of time, as well as its place in the band’s discography and the genre in general.

Tooth and Nail Records – 27 March, 2001

It may not start a fire, but the moon shines pretty bright

As the 20th anniversary of Further Seems Forever’s debut album The Moon Is Down crept up, I decided it was time to finally give it a fair shake. It’s not that I didn’t know about the record or the band upon release, hell my now-wife loved the album when we started dating but I never cared to give it a chance. 

As an over-obsessed fan of Drive-Thru Records the Dashboard Confessional label debacle left a bad taste in my mouth, hearing the band included the dudes from Strongarm got me stoked until I learned it was Carrabba with the mic. I always had a terrible opinion of the man behind the dash. This was what I would call a perfect storm for my stubborn avoidance.

I also feel it is important to note that How To Start A Fire is an amazing record. I always assumed that comparing Carrabba to his replacement Jason Gleason is like comparing Rome to Bradley Nowell in that there really is no comparison.. But that was my assumption based on never listening to The Moon is Down and absolutely loving How To Start a Fire.

But instead of listening to an album I know is a masterpiece, here I am in 2021 finally listening to an album that many consider a cornerstone of the early 00s scene, one that I’ve never intentionally sat down with and I’ve got to be honest here. I don’t want it to be my cup of tea but it’s much better than I’d expected it to be. Actually it’s really pretty enjoyable. I still don’t like Carrabba’s voice or his inability to write lyrics that feel sincere but those melodies and rhythms behind really make a significant difference. 

The lyrics are still overwrought and sophomoric, but the songwriting seems more inspired, more lush and generally improves every element compared to Dashboard.  Whereas listening to Dashboard my instinct was almost always to turn it down, I find myself today turning this LP up.  I’m sort of falling for some of these songs.  “Snowbirds and Townies” did more than impress me, it full-on won me over.  I still find the lyrics trying so hard to be clever that they turn up too poetic for their own good, but unlike that other Carrabba endeavor Further Seems Forever comes off as sincere and earnest to the point of endearing.

I’m not sure if I’m more angry at how much I find myself enjoying a voice I swore I would never give credit to or that it took me 20 years to listen to an album that probably should have been on a steady rotation.  Whereas I spent the last 20 years telling anyone who would listen that they should be embarrassed for the time they spent enjoying Dashboard, I’m embarrassed I let myself miss out on this for so long.

The record still will never be able to light a match (pun intended) to How To Start a Fire and Carrabba will always be a step down from Gleason, but the step is significantly less steep than I’d assumed for far too long. 

Looking back, I can’t say if The Moon is Down holds up over time because I don’t have a baseline to compare it to, but what I can say is that listening to it in 2021, I can absolutely understand why it was so well received in 2001.