Broken Cedars

Item: Forever
Author: A Girl Called Gordon

Forever

(2000)

Reviewed by A Girl Called Gordon

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Screaming Giant RecordsHM Magazine #83May/June 2000

melodic hardcore pop punk punk skate punk

Oh, my . . . I like this CD! (I would say I love it, but I'm not mature enough to make that statement. But I do like this CD a lot!!) It's melodic, it's tight, it's got catchy riffs, and simple but great harmonies.

Johnny Bovee's vocals are pretty; they're high without being too nasally. He is a straight-ahead tenor, and that adds something to the overall sound of Broken Cedars. His voice blends well with the smooth sound his guitar produces and the uncommon chords he and Daved (Bassist) choose. Those chords stray from the normal 3-chord progression one might expect from a punk band.

Broken Cedars is not necessarily a punk band, but they aren't emo either. It's more of a pretty punk with a background in Rock. A lot of the beats Josiah Castellano lays down are of the punk nature, however. Okay, I just realized that you may be getting confused with this description. Overall, the music blends well, no matter what you might classify it as, punk, emo, or rock; it doesn't matter.

The lyrics show 3 guys who are sold-out for God. (Well, maybe not "El Nino"...) "Hey so where's your hope now / just live it up and die / are your fickle pleasures too tasteful to pass by / well you're willing to take, but you cannot receive the greatest gift of all time / if you would just believe..." ("Station," based on 1 Thessalonians 5:3) Every song on this album is based on a Bible passage; Romans 5:8, Psalm 17:15, Amos 5:4, James 1:13-14, Matthew 6:24, etc. They have worked at making their music available to the searching soul.

This disc is good, the band has a passion for God, and they will leave you with a smile on your face and the memory of something good in your ears.