REVIEW: FS – ‘Cheers and Fears From the Past Year’

August 28th, 2013

Matthew Leimkuehler

Artist: FS
Album: Cheers and Fears From the Past Year
Genre: Alt-punk

The latest EP from FS, Cheers and Fears From the Past Year, has enough swagger to be worthy of Fall Out Boy’s Take This To Your Grave, yet throws a punch hard enough to hold its own in the ring with The Fall of Troy’s Doppelganger. Cheers and Fears is a record that shows stunning consistency from beginning to end, never wavering for a dull moment throughout the duration.

The record opens with the overly-emotional and blaring number, “Essentially, Eventually.” This track fits well into the leadoff spot for Cheers and Fears From the Past Year; it is catchy and aggressive, without being too overbearing. The record continues to thrive with “Ground Pound The Pillars” and “Mirrors Ruined Us,” two tracks that turbulently display this unique brand of melodic rock and help define what FS is accomplishing with the record. These tracks fill out the middle of the 5-song EP well, both containing addictive hooks and intriguing musical intricacies.

The highlight track of the record comes with “Melatonin.” A gripping, confessional number, “Melatonin” grabs the listener’s attention with its passionate and transparent lyricism. Singer Walter Stanley belts, in a very Piebald-influenced pattern, the lines, “Hey! Is this the God you swore up and down would help get some peace of mind?” The song can come off as unsettling, yet oddly satisfying.

The record closes with the power number, “Walking In Tempo.” This song pushes the emotions shown throughout the listen to the limit, while maintaining rather simplistic musically, for the standards FS set thus far on the album. “Walking In Tempo” is the kind of track that will keep fans on edge, leaving them wanting more. With such a stellar performance on Cheers and Fears From the Past Year, we can only hope we continue to see more great music from FS in the future.

Rating: 8.5/10

Review written by: Matthew Leimkuehler (@callinghomematt)