Falling Up Album: “Fangs”

Falling Up returns with their 4th full length album, "Fangs", a mystical concept record telling a story of hope. Years in the works, Falling Up has brought to life a lush musical journey that began as story penned by lead singer Jessy Ribordy. Heros & villains, good and evil, trials and tribulation. "The story of our hero begins as he crash lands into a great sea on this mystic planet called Neptuenn. We follow along on his quest as he embarks to discover the history of the planet, and just like anytime one travels to a distant land, he is shocked to notice just how strange the place that he comes from really is." This album, along with the introduction, is an account and summary of chapters 1-5 from the book "Fangs!" adapted from the original screenplay "Neptuenn's Cavern" by Jessy Ribordy.

This is unlike any Christian release I've ever heard and it is a truly brilliant musical journey. I've enjoyed previous hit songs by Falling Up including "Flights", "Contact", "Exit Calypsan" and "Hotel Aquarium". If you liked those songs, you won't be disappointed with the stand-out songs on "Fangs" which for me are the first 3 songs "The Colour Eoptian", "Lotus And The Langourous" and "Streams Of Woe At Acheron". Those 3 songs set the stage for the concept of the album, which is unique and fictional. The music and Jessy's singing voice blend perfectly with the synth-rock sound of Falling Up, musically more like the "Exit Lights" remix album. I've already listened to the song "Lotus And The Langourous" over a dozen times, and it is my favorite new rock song of the year. There is nothing offensive in the song lyrics although they are obscure. The album reminds me of last year's stand-out album "With Arrows, With Poise" by The Myriad, including more arrow references in "Golden Arrows" and "The Kings Garden", part of a mellow middle section of the album which continues until the rock kicks into high gear with the guitar intro on "The Moon And Sixpence". The album closes with 4 more story songs, including more references to the "golden arrows" in "Goddess of the Dayspring, Am I", and "Swimming Toward Propellers".

If you like praise and worship or lyrics that you can immediately identify with, this album is not for you. If you like alternative rock like The Myriad, Anberlin and Radiohead, then this concept album is for you.

Being relatively new to Falling Up and pretty much stumbling upon this album I find it very interesting and very good. Now, finding out my son listens to them, but really only likes their first release 'Crashings' I can see where I would definitely like 'Fangs' where my son wouldn't. This is an excellent album musically. If you want the same album from any group time after time, then what's the point? One of the things I look for in a group is if they try to change it up from album to album. Falling Up seems to want to do just that. Don't get caught up in the fact that it's based off a screenplay dealing with mythology. Who can't say that they didn't study Greek mythology in school? And while one reviewer claims that "I think it is also important to realize Falling Up doesn't seem to worship God or even mention his word throughout the album, a huge disappointment from a Christian rock band!". My question to that reviewer is "Can't an album just have clean lyrics and great music that Christians can listen to"? Hey - there's a ton of ways to worship God last time I looked. So, because they don't mention God this time around you're ready to throw them and their faith under the bus. What a shame that there's such a narrow point of view on what Christian music should be like. I listen to a lot of bands, mostly secular, and that's one of the biggest drawbacks with the Christian music genre - in a box with no way out. The best music out there is from bands who think out of the box and evolve their sound. I love progressive music so this is probably why I love this album. It reminds me of Ashes Divide, Lunatic Soul, The Pineapple Thief, and Fair to Midland in their approach, but also many others in their willingness to take a chance. Call it dreamy or melancholy, but this album is just a great listen from start to finish. And not having listened to their other albums I feel I have an unbiased opinion on this since I'm not comparing it to their other albums. But, as another reviewer stated, preview it before you buy because if you're expecting another 'Crashings' you will be disappointed.

I find it difficult to describe Falling Up. Fangs! is full of songs that are very catchy but you can never remember them. It's like a dream you really enjoyed; you feel like you'll never forget it and the feeling is always with you, but the memory is fleeting. You can't remember just what it was like, until you fall asleep again and the dream returns. Luckily for me, I can play this album any time I want and reenter the happy dream.

Falling Up has always had an air of oddity about them, but this new album goes the whole way. That's not a bad thing. The album is based off of a rather interesting screenplay which certainly lends itself to the the lyrical interestingness (is that a word?) that Falling Up has always had.

I have enjoyed the sound of Falling Up ever since hearing Moonlit on the radio and this album does not disappoint.

Lotus And The Languorous - love the vocoder

Streams Of Woe At Acheron - extremely hooked on the chorus

I'd go through the whole album, but words fail me. Suffice to say it's great for ambient background or turned up and enjoyed.

This is the worst of their cds. It is a sci-fi story electronica music.

While it is an interesting change, they overstepped their creativity and made something not as quality as their other releases.

Since they are broken up, I mainly bought this cd since I own the others.

I was excited to get a new CD from Falling Up, but my initial impression is that it is a little disappointing. Fangs or maybe anything new may be hard to beat Dawn Escapes which I find to be awesome and never grows old. The singing and sound quality is very good and I'm sure it will grow on me more as I listen to it though.