Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
For Against is one of America's most enduring and endeared independent musical ensembles. Founded in Lincoln, Nebraska in the early 1980s, the original lineup comprised Jeffrey Runnings (bass & vocals), Harry Dingman (guitars), and Greg Hill (percussion). After the release of the Autocrat / It's a Lie 7" in 1985, the group launched a long-time association with the legendary Independent Project Records (Scenic, Savage Republic, Deception Bay, Fourwaycross). Both of these songs appeared on 1987's acclaimed Echelons LP, beloved for it's unique brand of Joy Division-influenced pop. Some songs ("Echelons," "Forget Who You Are," "Broke My Back") perfectly capture the dark colorings of early Factory Records, while other material ("Shine," "Get On With It") asserts janglier elements [e.g. Dingmans' Peter-Buck-with-a-reverb-box melodies]. All nine songs, however, are distinctly identified by Runnings' clear, gliding timbre a striking counterpoint to the dimly-lit music supporting him. Echelons was also celebrated with a Grammy nomination for its remarkable cover design (a shaft of wheat accompanied each record sleeve in its initial pressing).
In 1988, the trio released the equally distinguished nine-song album, December. Greg Hill's vibrant, Chronic Town-esque drumming invigorates the buoyant tunes "Sabres" and "Clandestine High Holy," and galvanizes the verses of "Stranded in Greenland," "Svengali," and "Paperwhites." Dingman's reverbed picking lends a melancholic air to "They Said" and the opening of "December." Still, brooding elements remain, most evident in the prominent basslines of the 6/8-metered "The Effect" and the measured title track.
While Dingman and Hill left to form The Millions, in 1990 IPR released In the Marshes, a six-song 10" that was recorded by For Against in the mid-1980s. These songs are decidedly darker, and infused with considerable electronics, both rhythmically and melodically. Highlights include Runnings' mesmerizing voice on "Amen Yves," and the ascent from sparsely-escorted vocals to the belated bass entrance on "Amnesia."
All five songs culled from two 1993 7" singles were collected along with six other songs to construct 1993's Aperture. Runnings was joined by now-permanent members Steven Hinrichs on guitar and drummer Paul Engelhard. The new blood initiated a more focused strain of For Against songwriting, as opposed to stirring a direct departure of style. The songwriting is more immediate, but perhaps the biggest change is the skeletal, less atmospheric production. Nonetheless, there are still traces of the Hill-Dingham era, such as the opening minor chord progression of "Unspeakable." Aperture yielded some of the band's finest moments such as the soaring guitars which close the lovely "Breathless," and the vocal melodies of "Don't Do Me Any Favors," "Breathless," and "Mindframed."
In 1995, For Against released Mason's California Lunchroom on New York City's Rainbow Quartz label. The sound is somewhat bigger than that of Aperture, with a fuller, rounder, and less trebled guitar presence. The album begins with "Seesick," the introduction and first verse of which recalls the best of December. The brilliant "Tagalong" includes perhaps the best hooks of any For Against song, and should have been a college radio staple. The ferocity of Englehard's drumming and Hinrichs' strumming propel "Vista" more directly into post-punk territory, with the added bonus of some brief rare vocal harmonies by Runnings himself. The finale, "Blow," is a fascinating closer perhaps the gentlest and most delicate song in the For Against catalog to date.
On 1997's Shelf Life, For Against offers ten more songs, but this time with a gentler, more serene temperament than that found on Mason's California Lunchroom. "Lilacs" provides Shelf Life's most euphoric moments. But the album also includes two rare excursions by For Against into covering other artists' material: "Times Square Go Go Boy," was original
Product Description
For Against's triumphant return. Jeffrey Running's trademark soaring vocals enmesh in a delicate lattice work of guitars and punctuated rhythms to craft an arresting blend of lucid, gorgeous atmospheres.
Coalesced,For Against,Words On Music,Dream Pop,Indie Pop,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
Rock Music:
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