Friends Of Friends
Deep Search
Self-Released; 2009
To me, good punk rock should make the listener feel rather uncomfortable. Any art form that has the historic desire and propensity to stand up to and rise up against the powers-that-be and their cultural norms shouldn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I want such expressions to kick me in my gut and shake my shoulders, all in an attempt to shake me out of any sort of reverie and complacency that plagues my psyche. Furthermore, quality punk rock cynicism tends to be laden with a dense undercurrent of idealism, the kind that seeks for a better way, despite the shit that life has to offer on a regular basis.
The four guys in the Tallahassee, FL punk outfit Friends Of Friends understand these base facts and have no problems actively stalking forth into the world to rip down and tear apart that which they feel is wrong. Deep Search is a no-holds-barred diatribe against standard punk boilerplate issues: the ills propagated by Western Christendom, homogenized pop culture, fake people languishing in hypocrisy, and the excesses of the bourgeoisie. Specifically, there are more than a few sections of this ten-song record that serve as angry, bitter ruminations about certain sects of Christianity and their over-reliance upon Judgment Day, End-Of-The-World theology to scare believers.
The record veritably drips with angst, jaded perspectives, and profanity aplenty across a good mix of short, punchy bruisers and long-form anthems. At times, it’s difficult to see the forest being chopped down because of the overpowering noise of the band’s buzzing chainsaws. A regular string of F-bombs can be distracting when I just want to delve deeper into the sociopolitical ramifications of what an artist is attempting to say.
All throughout Deep Search, this group displays a great appreciation for a wide variety of punk sub-genres. It is impressive to hear how effortlessly the quartet blends them all together into an appealing whole. The flip side to this show of talent is that there isn’t any one song that really jumps out as any sort of standout track, even as “I Am The Catalyst,” “Path Of Logic,” and “Enough Is Enough” act as the primary examples of the band’s abilities and ethos.
Nevertheless, there is something substantially cathartic about this brand of rousing hardcore-influenced skate punk. Engaging this record is an emotionally intense experience, in that, the band beckons for the listener to dive headlong into the music and not hold anything back once the circle pit really starts going. Friends Of Friends’ energy and attitude are infectious, and the music is brimming with stirring arrangements that implore me to pay close attention to all that’s happening. By the time the album comes to a conclusion, I am drained from waving my fist around and stomping my feet in indignation at “The Man,” but I want to do even more to fight back against anyone who might try and get in my way.
High praise about atmosphere aside, Deep Search remains just another generally above-average punk record. And while that’s certainly not supposed to be a slam, since it did leave me wanting more and inspiring me to not be so reticent to reject the false promises of certain cultural and religious trends, there was a bit of “it all sounds the same” happening in my years. Yes, punk rock might not be the strain of rock that attracts prodigious shredders and compositional savants, but I will be listening for future releases from Friends Of Friends to see how this act deepens its passionate fervor and hones its overall sound