The four Californians of FACE TO FACE have released a new album in the record stores and streaming platforms of this world after a five-year wait. It is their eleventh studio album. These are four seasoned gentlemen who have recorded an album here. Four men who know what they are doing. They play the punk rock they have been playing since the beginning of the band. Technically better, more cleanly produced, but musically, it’s what they can do. There are no surprises here.
Clearly, there is punk rock here as one knows it from the Californian school. Melodic, driving, yet never picking up too much speed. Breaks and choruses are perfectly placed. The playing of each individual band member comes through the speakers with emphasis, and the vocals are also easy to understand.
Lyrically, there is also familiarity. Written partly from a personal perspective and partly from the perspective of an observer, the themes of lies, self-deception, self-doubt, and (personal) motivation are particularly addressed. There are also songs that speak directly to you and pose questions about life, existence, and what one makes of it. Especially these songs, such as “Ruination, here we come,” provide a broad view of one’s own generation and those that have come after and those that are yet to come.
Despite the generally pleasingly played songs, the lyrics are, on the whole, darker than the music might suggest. This does not detract from the album but reduces the depth of the songs.
FACE TO FACE have released a pleasant album with “No way out but through.” An album that has few rough edges and is easy on the ears. It is one of those albums that you can’t really criticize, but that also hardly lingers in your mind after multiple listens.
