Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Why The Front Bottoms Deserve More Of Your Attention

BY LIV SLABY

The Front Bottoms are an indie rock quartet who makes charming melodies out of power chords. Hailing from New Jersey, the band is Brian Sella, Mathew Uychich, Tom Warren, and Ciaran O'Donnell. And yes, their name means what you think it means.

Their songs are simply constructed and often vocally driven, with lyrics that tell a story as much as they are poetic. Many of their songs are often quoted on tumblr due to their themes of young love and heartbreak. Their music is upbeat and happy, with just enough of a bitter, blue edge that it is acceptable to cry to it one night and play at a pool party the next.

Though not a demonstration of musical complexity, TFB's songs are filled with memorable cliches like "be sure to kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face" and "I would sleep better on your floor than I would ever in my bed." It almost doesn't feel right to just listen to their songs, so I often find myself singing and playing along to get the full experience.

This band understands what it's like to be a teenager on a level that I've never heard another band achieve. The simplicity of their instrumentation reflects how adolescent life seems routine enough on the outside, but the lyrics weave in the emotions. Phrases that often have a much larger meaning can be mistaken for youthful silliness. They capture the pain of loving, the joy of friendship, and the sadness of moving on in a graceful way, painting a world of their own through albums and songs.

They are a soundtrack of summer and winter, fall and spring. No matter how you're feeling, The Front Bottoms' music is relevant. They capture an entire spectrum of emotion in each song and bring listeners back to summers spent with best friends, first loves and heartbreaks. The Front Bottoms is an irreplaceable addition to our scene, a quirky group who's songs can have different meanings to every listener. Whatever their music means to someone, it always means a lot.