The Change of From First to Last: How Their 2008 Album Redefined Their Sound

FROM FIRST TO LAST.

SCORE: 75/100

As polarizing as it is, From First To Last makes a great emo-pop album at it's core.

From First to Last's third album marks a 2-year gap between releases, with this period being the time where the band had gone through the most changes it had ever dealt with. Their signature vocalist, Sonny Moore had left the band in order to both protect his voice and move on to a solo career, which left the band with a new vocalist fronting the band, Matt Good. 

Good had previously been solely the guitarist for the band, meaning that this lineup change brought in another veteran from the band's lineup to fill in the missing space. The result is an album that feels almost inappropriately self-titled from the first glance you might take at it, as typically, a self-titled album should be an album that defines the artist behind it. Instead, the choice to self-title this album comes from a place where the band was changing and growing, using this growth to create something fluid and unique from their previous two albums despite such a major change.

From First To Last is much more rooted in pop than the band's previous albums while still keeping their emo roots in tact. It's an album that challenges fans of the band to get used to a lineup change and a tamer sound, and it feels like a major step back when compared to the massively dark and complex record that was Heroine. The album is intense and sharp in its sound, but it's something that feels almost entirely like a pop record - surprising, but not at all hard to take.

This was the band's first and last release with Suretone and Interscope records, as the album went on to underperform and divide the band's fanbase entirely due to how much their sound had changed. It's an album that would have hit big in it's sound - if the band had not been known for a harsh, complex, and deeply potent sound in the past. It's something where you have to not consider the band's previous works in order to "get" this one, and fans who enjoy both sides of the emo music spectrum are sure to still love this album if they're willing to give it a chance. 

There are both moments of bright emo-pop and post-hardcore roots that battle and bump heads throughout the project, and the resulting album is something fun, well paced, and well formatted on all fronts. It isn't an album that overstays its welcome, and it's without a doubt the bands most widely accessible piece of media due to how light and digestible it is. 

The band managed to create an album that was easy to listen to while still being massive in its sound and artistry, and it makes for an album that is fun to listen to and incredibly well done in its format. The short album structure provides something that is worth coming back to, and every song is enjoyable. There are shifts in tone and sound that make sure the album keeps listeners hooked, and it's an album that ensures that it is worth while from beginning to end. 

Every member gives their all on this album, with Good's vocal work being much more aligned with emo-pop bands like Sleeping With Sirens and the instrumental work being full of air to allow for an upbeat listening experience despite lyrics that are typical for the genres that the album covers. Derek Bloom is exceptional on drums, leading into a very punchy sound that is uplifted by a very riffy guitar palate through-and-through. 

For a band that was overcoming such a massive shift, they did exceptionally well at ensuring that they were still putting out quality work even with a drop in consistency. This is an album that showcases a band that was never willing to give up - and it shows resilience in taking a massive sonic risk and changing up the sound they were once known for entirely. It isn't an easy feat for a band to drop everything and create something new, something bright and airy amongst a dark, grim discography; but From First to Last have never been your average band.