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The Fall Is Shorter Than You Think releases “The Moment That We Shared”

The Fall Is Shorter Than You Think has released two EPs since their debut in September 2014. (Courtesy of Honest Face Records)

Timothy Clark
Connector Contributor

Lowell-based alternative rock band The Fall Is Shorter Than You Think released their second EP, “The Moment That We Shared,” on March 24. This record, bringing in aspects from jazz and rock alike, is a unique twist on the usual alternative rock repertoire that is put out for the world to hear. Varying drum-grooves and driving bass-lines are topped tastefully with dissonant harmonies in the guitar to create a perfect backdrop for the emotionally driven lyrics and vocals.

The first track on the EP sets the tone immediately with an atmospheric chord that quickly denatures and morphs into a chaotic wave of heavy fuzz. The groove sets in, backed by a brooding organ and the guitar playing rhythmic arpeggios filled with tension and release quickly follows it.

The mass of sound thins and in come the vocals singing a verse of troubled thoughts. Only when the chorus comes do things pick up, with lead vocalist Phil Cambra screaming, “I need to get out of here this box confines, I wanna feel the/breeze/and clear out my mind.” This sense of being caged and yearning to break free shows up several times throughout the project, though rarely in the same form.

The second track of “The Moment That We Shared,” titled “Perception,” is the most aggressive of the bunch. The song opens with a heavy poly-metric beat and fiery guitar riff. The energy is kept up through a verse filled with slick guitar licks and tight bass-lines.

It comes to a climax at the chorus with voices belting, “Lift me above, above the surface, and change my perception.” Again, the theme of moving past a barrier in life arises.
A quick instrumental section with a strong, tension-filled cadence leads into the next verse, which is half the length of the first.

Instead of continuing with the verse at the halfway point, the band quiets and leaves open space for the moving harmonic lines. In comes a crooning, “You are you are who you are” to bring the outro: a tight drum break ending on a reverberant rim-shot. This empty space is the resolution to the chaos that was “Perception.”

Track three, “Silence Never Solved Anything,” begins with the rhythm section groovin’ hard. Fat bass hits are splattered with an array of wavy guitar notes that send the song into motion. The tune moves between a straight ahead beat in the verse to a more relaxed Latin-style groove in the chorus, outlining the change in mindset as the song progresses. The verses focus on all of the little problems the lyricist is experiencing and the chorus sums it all up in one easy sentence, “I wish I wouldn’t turn away and hide from you.”

“Moment,” the final and longest song on this project, constantly changes and evolves. It starts with solo guitar to set up the harmonic structure of the piece then rapidly brings on the rhythm section and vocals. After only a few lines, the drums cymbals grow louder and the song teems with energy. This energy is quickly shifted to a laid-back pre-chorus with a beautiful vocal harmonies and wide open guitar chords.

The form becomes complete with a rocking out chorus of, “And during this time honesty is shared/And during this time honesty is shared/True listening occurs and love exists/It’s the most beautiful thing.” The song and EP wraps up with a breakdown section where the trio is playing very precise stop-rhythms. The energy is built up again with shredding guitar and crashing cymbals that land on a chilled hit to bring the EP to a close.

This album brought forth a unique style that is accentuated by the group’s musicianship. A variety of feels, meters, textures, chord qualities, and rhythms invite the listener to stay attentive and entertained throughout the four tracks. “The Moment That We Shared” is a sonically pleasing, full-bodied work. Well-written songs and ear-perking music are combined to create this fantastic EP.

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