Framing Hanley - The Moment

Band: Framing Hanley
Album: The Moment
Genre: Rock
Label: Silent Majority Group

Tracks:
1. Home
2. Built for Sin
3. Hear Me Now
4. Slow Dance
5. All in Your Hands
6. Its Not What They Said
7. 23 Days
8. Count Me In
9. Alone In This Bed
10. Wave Goodbye
11. The Fold

Let me start by saying, this is my 4^th time beginning this review. I’ve spent the past week listening to Framing Hanley’s full length album, “The Moment,” and I wanted to give it a fair and generous chance to impress me. After six full listens to the album and numerous starts and stops, I just can’t wait any longer.

Framing Hanley is a band from the veins of Three days Grace, Finger Eleven, Evan’s Blue, etc. and a poor imitation at that. It seems to be the trend though, once one band of a genre gets a breakthrough song, the wannabes come out of the woodwork and this five piece band from Nashville, though showing valiant effort, just doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “The Moment,” starts off with, “Home,” a drum heavy, riff repeating jam that basically sets up a blue print for what is to follow. The tracks that follow seem hallow and forced. The entire album feels like Framing Hanley is trying so hard to fit into the modern rock genre that they throw aside care for what is cliché and old. The album seems to find some footing on tracks like, “Hear Me Now,” and, “Slow Dance,” but one of those was chosen as the single, so maybe the band knows all to well how much filler this album holds.

I’m not saying this is the worst thing I’ve ever heard, I’ll save that slot for another act of whom I won’t mention now. This album is just empty and void of anything that has lasting power or realty grabbed my attention. Maybe next time Framing Hanley will find who they are, but it’s going to take some serious work. Framing Hanley isn't alone on this front, many bands popping up today and rising through the Myspace ranks seem to have the problem of becoming faceless music. There is so much potential sprinkled through this album that I know they can/will do better on future releases. Also, a full length may have been what really sealed this coffin for me. Most young bands can get out 4 solid songs on an ep, but 11 is asking for a lot from a young band. Look into the "scene," these days, Fearless, Fueled By Ramen, Drive-Thru, they all have their new acts record simple Eps to test the marketability of them band because a full length is costly and risky. It helps learn what kind of draw a band will have across the nation and then, after months of touring, we get a full length. Framing Hanley should have applied these rules and then maybe there'd really be some gems in this, but much like the mattress that graces the cover of, "The Moment," I felt adrift in a sea of sound I've heard a hundred times before. “A,” for effort boys, but a “D,” in terms of execution.

GRADE: 4/10