Photo by:

It has been two years since the Flobots have signed under Universal Records.  Since then, the Flobots’ freshman commercial album, Fight with Tools, has sold 300,000 copies, and the single “Handlebars,” has gone platinum. With that success under their belt, the band went back into the studio when the tour ended to record their sophomore set, Survival Stories.

Survival Story starts very strong with the song “Cracks in the Surface” and manages to carry that energy through to the end of the album, even transferring it into other songs’ moods.

True to its title, stories are integral to Survival Stories. Throughout the course of the album, Flobots tells multiple narratives. The listener hears about the album itself, the band, the trials and tribulations of its members and the stories that the band wants to tell. “The Effect” encourages the listener to tell their story, regardless of sex – a comment on other artists in the industry.

Though the music is different from Fight With Tools, the direction is still great. The production values are high, and no instrument sounds out of place. The vocals are also top-notch, seldom ever becoming too weak or overpowering.

Story also contains a couple cameo appearances in the form of Tim McIlrath of Rise Against and solo singer Matt Morris. Their appearances on the album are well-placed: one can be full-aware of their work on the album, yet find no distractions in it.

The only con is this: if you weren’t sold on the band prior to the release of Survival Story, then the album may not win you over.   

That being said, all of the songs seem evocative of some degree of thought and the instrumentals are well-arranged. If you were already a fan before and don’t own the album, pick it up.

The Flobots have told some of the stories they wanted to tell.  What will yours be?