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Very recently, many artists have been resorting to releasing EPs rather than full albums for a great variety of reasons.
Some new artists have been debuting with EPs so listeners can get their feet wet without investing too much money. Danyew,
Sarah Reeves, Abandon, and Philmont are all examples of this approach. Still yet, some are releasing EPs to get the music out
to fans more quickly than with a one-shot album. Jon Foreman of Switchfoot did this last year, and Mae recently announced this
course of action as well. But now it appears Future of Forestry is the latest to join this release schedule.
Set to release three EPs in a twelve-month period- Travel, Travel II, and Travel III -this review
covers the first chapter of this series of three.
Musically, it's a natural progression from the band's debut, Twilight. It's a little different than the previous
release in that it's their rock sound with a classical influence. Right off the bat we are blown away by the single
"Traveler's Song," which is by far the best track. While it's comparatively simple compared to the rest of the record,
it shines as a result. After this track, the entire EP seems to change gears. It's very ambitious and monumental, but it is
exactly that which makes the EP a little too overwhelming. It's almost as if Future of Forestry tried to cram as much as they
could into one EP and still have something epic. While there are only six songs on the record, it's quite a listen from
beginning to end. You almost feel tired after listening through it all because some of the tracks just seem to drag on for a
little too long. While I can like the idea of making a series of EPs instead of making a one-off album, it may have been
better to do the latter considering the epic factor displayed here. It's almost as if the EP was really made to be a snack,
but the whole meal was served up instead. While the object of the first Travel EP is to whet your appetite for the
next two installments, some will already feel satisfied enough.
Eric Owyoung, the lead singer and frontman of the band, poured his heart and soul into this EP, and it shows. He produced
and mixed the whole record, performed most of the instruments, and designed all the cover artwork. Clearly, there was much dedication given
to this project, and for that reason, I have much respect. Diehard fans of Future of Forestry, who probably already picked up
this project as this review goes to press, will find something to admire from this EP, but for a casual listener, it could
be a little, well, boring. But if you're willing to devote some time to get used to the style, you might find some diamonds in
this rough. We'll see if these trends continue on Travel II and III.
- Review date: 5/11/09, written by Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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Kicking off what is apparently a three-part series, Future Of Forestry have released their
Travel EP into the wild. Starting things off with "Traveller's Song," I have to say I like what I hear.
The song is airy, experimental, yet still accessible; when Eric Owyoung hits the falsetto, things get really
interesting. "This Hour" has a bit more of an edge, but not too much. The song itself seems to be a call for
believers to not hide their faith, but to "sing out" and let others know what they stand for; not only is
it solid lyrically, the melodic arrangement itself is really appealing too. However, I'm not quite sure what Future Of
Forestry hoped to achieve with "Colors In Array." Lyrically, it appears to build on the message of "This Hour" and
the song itself is pleasant, but it has no hook, nothing that grabs your attention, and it drags on a bit.
The second half of the EP is primarily acoustic, and handled quite well. The first of these, "Close Your Eyes,"
is a gentle ride sonically, woven together with guitars, violin, cello, and the occasional synth effect.
"Closer To Me" is similar in some respects, though it focuses on relationships (presumably with God). It too is
complemented in a fashion quite like the previous track, except for the addition of soft drumming and
an accordion. Finally, the EP closes with the worshipful "Hallelujah," a very fitting choice with which to
finish the EP. Overall, the Travel EP is a unique and fresh collection of lyrically solid, ethereal
Christian rock music. I anticipate the release Future Of Forestry's next EP, if they continue to create
music like this.
- Adam Dawson
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Record Label: Credential Recordings
