Jeffrey Runnings was the driving force behind the early Nebraska post-punk and dream-pop outfit For Against. He was the only constant member throughout five decades and until his death from cancer this year. He tracked the songs on this LP via an old eight-track cassette machine, and it captures his more calm approach to songwriting, and is accompanied by an EP of rare tunes he recorded in the late ’80s.
The textured haze of the key friendly “Batman Forever” begins with much raw beauty, and “Just Before Nothing” relies more on thumping drums and bass acrobatics with strong attention to mood.
“Mayfair” lands closer to the middle and comes with some chamber ideas, while “Bloom” swirls with an ’80s post-punk ambience of gracefulness. “The Courage Of Voluntary Trees” then allows for the meticulous guitar to radiate alongside the melodic rhythm section.
Closer to the end of the LP, “Glorious Grey” pairs the synthetic drumming with sophisticated keys that are heartfelt, and “Elegy” finishes with a blurry and rich version of dream-pop.
The EP’s tracks are excellent, too. “Follow” resides in more ominous areas of cinematic swells, but it’s the dense bass playing and manipulated vocals of the hypnotic “Light Of My Life” that makes the entire package a must for fans of anything related to the 4AD Records catalog.
Runnings played bass, sang and was the primary songwriter for For Against, which released albums from 1987-2009. This posthumous release comes in an oversized die cut jacket that’s been letterpress printed by hand, and allows for the post-punk cult legend to impress us in home recordings that are eloquent and largely serene. These tracks were never meant to be released, but Runnings never stopped documenting his work, and it serves as a wonderful way to bookend a phenomenal career.
