Intensity! I needed to get that word written first, because that’s the strongest feeling I get from the new album The Saddest Champion by The First to Fight. Every note played and every word sung on this collection sounds like the band has five minutes to live, with no intention of wasting even a single breath!
Currently based in Greenville, South Carolina, the earliest iteration of the band started in Salem and was described as “like a pipe bomb: an explosion of attitude dressed as a down-and-dirty vendetta wrapped in shouting and slipshod guitar work.” Except for the “slipshod” part, this could also describe them now! But the band feels they’ve developed a more mature outlook and deliver their music with more integrity, as reflected in these new songs. The band members are Doc Figh (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Cameron “Spaceman” Price (lead guitar) and Joel “Chopper” Green (bass). Their Bandcamp tags list alternative, post emo and indie rock as their genres. Though The First to Fight remind me of a lot of ’90s bands, the strongest connection for me was Sebadoh, for whom I carry a large torch. Overall, the effect of listening to this album is like stumbling into someone else’s primal scream therapy session. Exhilarating, but you do wonder if you should even be listening to such personal stuff! The opening of “Limes” is a bit of a left curve, featuring slightly detuned acoustics or maybe even a ukulele. A simple but charming chord pattern slowly welcomes bass and nicely syncopated drum fills (who’s playing those?). Figh’s lead vocals are almost spoken and have an amiable, everyday quality not unlike Daniel Johnston. The lyrics describe a chance meeting with an ex-lover, and the moment Figh sings “You can take that fractured smile / And shove it up your ass” the heavier guitars join the mix. A sort of Fuzz Chorale appears and Figh shifts into his preferred, shouting-style vocals. If this was the only First To Fight song you ever heard, you have all their salient artistic touches in one place! “Just Sorry” wastes no time getting right into the meat of the song, which is built from jagged, rattletrap guitar chords very much like Sebadoh. Figh also jumps right into his more intense mode of vocalizing with a bit of Eddie Vedder in the choruses. Structurally and melodically this is a killer song in the classic alternative mode, though it strains a bit at the edges of compression. The drummer kicks progressively more ass when the song reaches its climax. “Passion In Blue” features some thrilling quiet-loud dynamics and more intense vocals by Mr. Figh (let’s just assume that they’re ALL like this from now on!). He even found time (though barely the audio space) for some nice, heavily stacked vocal harmonies. “Fine” is a sort of personal mental health manifesto which amps up the dynamics considerably. My note here, in all seriousness, is: “If I could die and go to heaven borne on a celestial ship made of molten guitar riffs, I hope it would be these.” There’s a quiet, Elliott Smith-like acoustic opening for “Shakespeare In White” before roaring into something close to Speed Punk. There’s a big surprise in the middle, when the song has supposedly ended but actually starts over with a slow, dramatic build: “When I was younger, I was told I could have the sun / Now that I’m older I’ll take every sorrow one by one.” The conclusion is louder but more deliberate rock before a final reprise of the main theme. “Cherryhill” features a hook that reminds me of the classic pop song “Never My Love” which is funny because it probably came out 100 years before these guys were born! The guitars here are especially thick and trebly and Figh appears to have entered confessional mode, with one of his most heartfelt performances yet (and that’s saying something!). “Almost A Win” has a spacey, dreamy opening perhaps created by feedback through echo. The song proper has a cool, off-center beat and thick but carefully constructed guitar riffs, again similar to Pearl Jam but with a vocal intensity that weirdly reminded me of Peter Gabriel. “Pure” is another track that starts out with mellow chords and introspective vocals like Lou Barlow, then slowly builds power with a shovel brigade of guitars and massive vocal choruses constructed with surprising architectural integrity. In fact they’re so proud of the vocals that they do one of those quick “vocals only” snippets at the very end, and I’m sure the pals who joined in appreciated that! “Winterplay” features Ryan Lara and Mean Joel Green (I’m assuming on vocals) and it’s a late-in-the-game hit with a snappy, radio-friendly structure and ace playing and singing. And I almost dropped dead when I heard an actual guitar solo in the middle! There’s 13 tracks here and though I didn’t mention them all, I personally don’t think there’s a lemon in the bunch. If you prefer gut-wrenching Intensity in your alternative rock then look no further! Bravo Guys!
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