All Artists:Unwed Sailor Title:Firecracker Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label:Burnt Toast Vinyl Original Release Date: 1/1/1998 Re-Release Date: 4/23/2002 Album Type: EP Genres:Pop, Rock Style: Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC:656605100524
"Jonathon Ford was made known to me by his awesome bass-playing and screaming in the now legendary Roadside Monument. I heard that he had worked on an instrumental album with Dave Bazan and I was very interested. I was told by others that the album was mediocre so I never purchased it. Several years later I saw Unwed Sailor at Cornerstone and the whole thing just blew my mind. I bought the EP and it is one of my favorite albums even though it's only about 12 minutes!Jonathon Ford deserves respect for his work in Roadside Monument, Unwed Sailor, Circle of Birds and even his playing on Pedro the Lion's "It's Hard to Find a Friend". If Ford's name is on it I will buy it. The "Firecracker" EP is exceptional from the first note to the last. The music has the awesome balance of being motivational while also very peaceful. I believe that "Ruby's Wishes" is one of my top 20 songs ever recorded. No joke. Dave Bazan's drumming is raw and powerful. The production is also rich and very warm.Just put it on and feel the glory."
Sweet euphoria
Cameron Adams | danville, ky | 11/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this is the best(or close to it) instrumental ep. johnathon ford of roadside monument and many other great bands teams up with dave bazan and picks up a guitarist to create some sweet instrumental tracks. check it out yo."
This is necessary for any music collection
christopher worland | Lexington, KY USA | 04/30/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"this cd is beatifully done. i saw them open up for pedro the lion at cornerstone a few years ago and this is the ep they had for sale. i have waited for another release from them since that time...unfortunately, amazon does not carry their full-length (put out by lovesick recordings). the guitar lines are really clean (most of the time) and the work on the bass is wonderful. the bass and guitar work wonderfully well together and the the music maintains a really dynamic feel throughout. the album has a somewhat raw drum sound that only adds to the entire sound. it makes it more accessible.
the only reason i give this ep a 4-star review is because they become even better on the full-length album. also, if you get a chance to see them live i highly recommend it. they don't need words to express their feelings - the music does it for them. but just in case that isn't enough, jonathan ford invites people to talk after the show, he really wants to make a connection with people. but don't worry, even if you never talk to him you will know his personality thru the music."
Does not age well
timmy | Indiana | 08/23/2003
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Maybe three years ago I might've recommended this four-song EP, but with The Faithful Anchor and Marionette out there, skip it. Johnathon Ford has done much better since this little experiment."