Not only is Further Seems Forever back, they are back with their original frontman, Mr. Dashboard Confessional himself, Chris Carrabba. The album opens strongly with the one-two combo of single “So Cold” and “Rescue Trained”. They sound as if Carrabba never went away and this time around they come armed with twelve years of additional experience since the release of “The Moon Is Down”, their first and only album with Carrabba on vocals.

He is of course a great singer and while his work with Dashboard Confessional wasn’t bad, it lacked… well, balls. Luckily the rest of the guys in Further Seems Forever are big-balled fellas who provide a solid backbone(r) for Carrabba to soar over with his trademark pained vocals.

“Penny Black” is however not the album that is going to change the world. Not all the songs on here are equally strong (like the electronics-enhanced “System Of Symmetry”) but what it lacks in constant quality, it makes up for in terms of enthusiasm. If this is any indication of things to come, we’re going to be in for a treat with the next album.