Falling Up records best album of all time

If you’ve heard Falling Up, it was probably in the early 2000s, in the first and last fifteen minutes of their fame. It seems as though the genre bending masterpiece of Dawn Escapes and evolutionary Fangs! were simply incomplete thoughts compared to the entire journey of the band.

They released “Hours” this year, and in full honesty, few albums can have a person smiling one moment and in tears the next. In fact, most albums can’t keep a listener for one sitting. But somehow, this album does it. Maybe it’s the concept, the lyrics, the music or the overall execution, or the overall fact that this is one of the best albums of all time. Either way, let’s break it down.

The concept of the album is actually based on a novel written and independently released by singer/keyboardist/guitarist Jessy Ribordy under the same name of “Hours.”

The futuristic story is about of Seth, a gifted child who lives in a school with other gifted children. One day, Seth is called into the school administrator’s office where he is offered a bizarre deal: for one hour each day he will lead the rest of his class into a secret room. In the room the children will be accompanied by no adults and will not speak of the events of the room outside. Whatever happens happens. However, Seth and the other children are not prepared for the adventures and horror that await them on the other side.

The lyrics revolve around this story. Each line takes us further into the mindset of the hero, but moreover, the melody wins the hearts of the listeners as it perfectly emulates the tone of each lyric. With that in mind, no note is improperly placed. “The Rest Soon Will Follow” and “On Growing Things” will send chills of suspense down the backs of listeners.

Tracks like “Intro to the Radio Room” and “In Echos Forever” not only celebrate the origins of Falling Up’s sound — called alternative by some — and exemplify the ability of Ribordy to play alongside drumming genius Josh Shroy, bassist Jeremy Miller. Although guitarists Nick Lambert and Daniel Elder are not original members, their blend with the album is nearly perfect, as “Aeva and the Waving World” and “The Station” show.

At worst, the album is a diamond in the rough that very few had the opportunity to hear. At best, it is a work of musical gods who have not given up in the face of adversity — some people would give up at the first possibility of “non-success” — but these guys are an inspiration to anyone who is still into playing music for themselves, not for money.

Falling Up’s “Hours” has transcended the rules of modern music and made an unforgettable album. May they never leave us.