Free Throw - 'A Hero's Grave'
Free Throw returns with an insatiable new single to announce both a US tour and an all-new album, “Moments Before The Wind”.
Known for being one of the most poignant and heartbreaking emo bands of all the last 15 years, Free Throw’s ability to keep their finger on the pulse of the genre and bend and sculpt its walls to fit their sound is second to none. This liminal and beautifully fluid track is another brilliant example of this talent and really sets a precedent for their upcoming album “Moments Before The Wind”, releasing March 27th this year.
As a very long-time Free Throw fan, seeing the way the band navigate all new situational problems is beautiful, as I truly feel I have grown up alongside their music and their themes. The thematic landscape of their songs has evolved from emo classics about college parties and crippling anxiety into a beautiful, thought-provoking tale of liminality and the internalisation of people’s perceptions of your life post-mortem. This development in lyrical consciousness falls perfectly into their catalogue and really feels like a more mature and growing version of an ever-evolving emo powerhouse. Frontman Corey Castro’s vocals on this track feel more astute and truly fit this sound, as after years of screaming for the hills to mask suburban heartbreak, leaving some lyrical content up for interpretation, giving their music a different identity to every listener, his voice seems clearer and more concise now. While still carrying the same weight that songs like “Tongue Tied” and “What Day Is It, October?” punch you in the soul with it has this wiser feel, showing that as the music grows, so do the individuals, drawing in new influence from all corners of life as they each develop as human beings.
Alongside the progression in Lyrical thematics, the music has also taken a very steep climb in composition and production. While the earlier albums are some of my personal favourites of all time because of their honest and unpolished songwriting and musical brilliance, this song takes it a step above with a serpentine lead line placed over impactful and groovy chords that create a brilliant dance track that never wanes in its bounce and vitality that perfectly complements a beautifully solemn bass line and chopping drums, this is all perfectly packaged with an immaculate production and some of the most angelic backing vocals known to man. This song feels complete; there are no gaps, and nothing leaves the audience with any notes. To create something so catchy yet so utterly soul-destroying is something that Free Throw have mastered in their tenure, and this song is a perfect example. I truly believe that this band will continue to develop indefinitely and that a world where they cease to define the very genre they occupy simply does not exist
“Moments before the wind” was announced alongside this single, as well as a humongous US tour with support from Macseal, TRSH and Wakelee, three fantastic bands vying to make it as far as this Nashville 5-piece. All this news is proving to bring a very busy year for the band, and all of this starts with the release of the album on March 27th, so get it in your calendars and get down to your nearest record store and help usher in a new era of a perfect band.
Words by Josh Pook
