face to face: Reactionary

face to face: Reactionary

2000

Vagrant Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. Disappointed  2. Out of Focus  3. What's in a Name  4. You Could've Had Everything  5. Hollow  6. Think for Yourself  7. Just Like You Said  8. Solitaire  9. Best Defense  10. Icons  11. Shame on Me  12. Estranged



face to face chicken out at the fan backlash to "Ignorance is Bliss" and run back into the studio, tails between their legs, to churn out "Reactionary," probably the safest face to face album possible. The whole thing feels like trolling; from the album title, to the first track being called "Disappointed," to the whole gimmick of letting fans determine the track listing online. "Just tell us what you guys want and we'll do it! Yessir!Yessir!"

 I remember at the time how rote "Disappointed" seemed. Here was face to face wiping away the last couple of years and going straight back to "Big Choice." Except the results were disconcerting, because if "Big Choice" wasn't exactly a progression from "Don't Turn Away," it was at least a lateral move. Maybe if I had disliked "Ignorance is Bliss," my feelings would have been different...I dunno. It felt insincere.

But as the record goes on, there are actually a lot of good tracks on here. After all, the band had always been excellent craftsmen when it came to hammering out pop-punk and their skills in this department had not deteriorated. "What's In a Name" is an excellent recreation of  the"Big Choice" sound and even manages to momentarily capture some of that magic once the chorus hits. "Hollow" and " Just Like You Said " are brave enough to push things into "self-titled" territory, with slightly more melancholy guitarwork. "Just Like You Said" is particularly good with one of those ultra-catchy Trever Keith vocal melodies that propels it to my "best of face to face" mix.

I think your opinion of this album will be colored by your feelings towards "Ignorance is Bliss." If you disliked that album (as many do) and thought the band went too far into alt-rock territory, then "Reactionary" will probably be a huge relief. If you liked "Ignorance is Bliss" (as apparently only I do),  then this is going to sound regressive and cowardly. Still, if you like face to face it's hard not to enjoy this record. It's face to face settling on a sound (burly, meat and potatoes melodic punk) and hammering out some catchy tunes. Nothing wrong with that, really...

This is the most recent face to face album I own. At one point, I had a copy of the follow-up "How to Ruin Everything," but it felt like the band had been frozen in a thick-ass slab of carbonite and I lost interest and gave it away or traded it somewhere over the years. I think the band has continued to churn out albums to this very day. If anyone has any recommendations for the later stuff, I'm all ears...

Let's listen to some music. Here's "Just Like You Said"by face to figgity face. Enjoy...