For Against

Nebraska’s For Against have been a hugely influential band in the post-punk scene, yet their records are a lot less familiar than those they influenced. So, despite the fact that Shade Side Sunny Side, the band’s seventh studio album, features the return of original guitarist Harry Dingman after 20 years, there is very little fanfare. Nevertheless, Shade Side Sunny Side is a very satisfying piece of work that keeps the band’s streak of never putting a foot wrong alive. They still capture the gloominess of those early Factory Records releases better than just about anybody, but it doesn’t feel quite so contrived because they’ve been doing it for the better part of two decades. And just to reinforce the point, they’ve added a cover of Section 25’s "Friendly Fires.” The band are at their most appealing when their guitars are sweeping across driving rhythms but there are occasional moments of lyrical weakness that thankfully aren’t complete deal breakers, which thankfully pale in comparison to the wonderful bleakness they conjure up in their songs.