Falling Up - Your Sparkling Death Cometh

Falling Up isn't a band I've ever really liked. When I heard the bands first single, Broken Heart, I wasn't impressed and it seemed like some cheap Linkin Park imitation that I had no interest in. The second single, Escalate, while a better song, still didn't really click with me and so Falling Up went into the category of bands I didn't listen to. But apparently the years after their debut, Falling Up experimented with various styles of music and take on a more indie, electronic vibe. After a short break in 2010, Falling Up has returned with their independently released Your Sparkling Death Cometh.

I had no real expectations for this album, which is normally good. And to be honest, I was shocked listening to Your Sparkling Death Cometh. Because it’s actually pretty good. In trying to describe it to my brother I said Falling Up meets One Republic in space... But that's not really accurate.

Circadian opens the album with a subtle ambient keyboard layer, just hinting at the melody to come when the guitar and strings kick in. The chorus is big and catchy, a theme that runs on every track. Wonder has a great string section over a huge sweeping chorus. Blue Ghost is upbeat and has one of the less grand hooks. Still catchy but in comparison, not as expansive and epic. Diamonds is probably the most One Republic sound track on the album, but I'm not sure that comparison is far. Listening to Diamonds, you can almost see things happening in slow motion around you.

By the time Light Beam Riders starts, you begin to sense something very familiar in each track, a common bond. There's no a ton of variety song to song but I find myself not minding it so much. The songs are solid and Jessy Ribordy's melodies are so strong and catchy that it works. Oceans is another super spacey, lush, rich, full chorus. Mscron has a weird steel drums type snyth playing on the end of the track, that while an odd sound, is beautiful and fills the space perfectly.

The only track that disappoints is the album's closer, Slow Waves. A mostly instrumental ambient piece, with the vocals shoved way in the background. It doesn't ruin the record but it just seems... Slightly out of place?

Your Sparkling Death Cometh is one of the big surprise records of 2011 for me. Low expectations and having never given Falling Up a fair short, proved to be an advantage for this album because it hits my ears as something fresh for the band. Not a lot of variety song to song but if you like big spacey, epic, rock songs, this is a solid record for you to be checking out.