Forward LP

Violin and harmonica go where a midwest emo, punk, and screamo band usually leaves them out, and First Day Back throws both into the mix, a choice that does real work across Forward's nine tracks. The Santa Cruz band pieced this debut full-length together out of studio jam and improvisation sessions, and reviewers have picked up on the same thing: this sounds like a band pushing the emo revival forward instead of just replaying it. The violin doesn't decorate the songs, it argues with them.