ARTIST: Fornever

ALBUM: If You Don't Like the World Change It

LABEL: Autumnal Release

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 9-2-09

Joshua Heinrich has been releasing music under the Fornever moniker for a decade and a half, further developing his sound and deepening his songwriting. His newest album continues the dance-tinged, effects-heavy pop of his previous album, but as evidenced by the hopefulness of the album title, it's less moody, more bittersweet. It also plays up the electronic elements of Fornever's sound a little bit more, with songs like "Sugarpop" and "A Little More Time for a Little Less" verging on synthpop despite the presence of guitars. Heinrich's use of synthesizers, though, is anything but stereotypical, and his mixture of dreamy, shimmery guitars with laid back electronic sequences owes more to early gothic club acts like Clan of Xymox than to Depeche Mode. Nor is gothic music the main influence; the keyboards on "House of Cards" recall nothing so much as Peter Gabriel's pioneering early solo work. In essence, though, the newest Fornever album is less about Heinrich's influences than his abilities at subtly blending mood. Incorporating the wistful melancholy of groups like Slowdive and This Mortal Coil with a sense of understated optimism, songs like "Forgetting How to Remember" with its sunny guitars and multi-layered vocals or the lovely ambient-tinged "The Destination Doesn't Matter" highlight the best of both worlds: the upbeat transcendence of pop with the emotional depth of goth. Another solid album from a prolific talent, this release will please Fornever's long-time fans as well as anyone with a taste for languid, emotionally compelling music.

For more information, visit www.autumnalrelease.com/fornever.html.