Woke Up Falling – Self-Titled / 2004 Post436 Records / 11 Tracks / http://www.wokeupfalling.com / http://www.post436records.com / Reviewed 03 October 2004

Woke Up Falling puts together the best melodramatic set of vocals in recent memory, casting their lot in a very current and hip “emo” style. The entire beginning of the disc, “Fake Your Death” included, is mixed a little heavily on the bass side of things, and as a result the higher plateaus reached by Gordie are compressed into heavy fuzz. The intense bass and drum assault opening up “Fight Song” provide a good contrast to Gordie’s vocals, and are cohesive enough to put forward a very solid façade. Opening up “Whisper Defeat” with a very plodding, wide-open-spaces type of guitar riff, the brooding drums and bass found on this track almost seem to be pulling Gordie’s heartbreaking lyrics too far in terms of tempo. The early nineties alternative influence is one thing that needs to be focused on as a key determinant of Woke Up Falling’s style, as it provides a greater influence than the eighties-metal does for bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Park.

“Circle A Date to End This War” also opens slowly, and while the intensity garnered by Gordie’s voice may make it seem like the track is going to speed up immediately, the bass is definitely the determiner of that for the track. Mired in the guitar wash, Woke Up Falling begins to fall into a rut during “Circle”, as everything original found on the track is repeated ad nauseam, making a very nuanced track sound like something that is a one-trick pony. “Never Been Here” recalls the best of the Spin Doctors, seen through the eyes of The Movielife and Hidden in Plain View, a perfect way to tie together the fans of both styles of music. The violin strains during “Never Been Here” are the first noticeable derivation from the oft-used formula, and the shuffling drums found on the following track, “Until Our Funeral” matches well the new standby in the violin.

Woke Up Falling’s second full-length disc shows a band that is very comfortable in their style, and I wonder if that is what keeps this album from being even better than it is. The lack of desire found on this disc to experiment with different time signatures and arrangements may be a sign of complacency; while the tracks on this disc do sound well-played, there is a certain lack of dynamism. Wait for their next outing before trying out Woke Up Falling; the talent needed for a good album is there, but the burning desire to create something new and different is not.

Top Tracks: Never Been Here, How To Standstill

Rating: 4.7/10