An indie rock band from New Jersey, The Front Bottoms have an ever-growing fan base and discography. If you were to go around and ask people their favorite TFB album, most -- if not all -- would either say their self-titled LP, "Talon of the Hawk," or their most recent EP, "Rose." An answer rarely heard, but one that I find myself replying with, is their debut full-length, "I Hate My Friends." Now, why is it that this record is hardly ever addressed? Well, it was self-released back in 2008 and now physical and digital copies of the album are both out of print and legally unavailable. Bummer, I know. There's just something special about owning a physical copy, especially of an album so stellar. "I Hate My Friends" is an extremely underappreciated musical endeavor of The Front Bottoms, although not the only one; all of their self-released material prior to signing with independent label Bar/None Records and then eventually Fueled By Ramen seems to go unnoticed far too often.
The album is definitely not suited for an audiophile due to its lo-fi recording, but the sound is too raw to ignore. Three of the tunes probably sound familiar to anyone who's heard "Rose," which is named after Mat Uychich's grandmother, and that's because the EP is a six-track record containing re-recordings of songs from their independent releases. These six songs were his grandmother, Rosemary's, favorite songs by the band, hence the name. "Rose" is the first of the anticipated "Grandma" series, where the band will continue to redo old songs. 
"Lipstick Covered Magnet," "Be Nice To Me," and perhaps one of the most-loved songs off of "Rose," "Twelve Feet Deep" are all originally off of "I Hate My Friends." I'm not saying the songs sound bad in hi-fi; they sound just as incredible, but hearing them in their original format gives the songs a purer emotion and a more personal feel. It's a super cool experience being able to see how The Front Bottoms have evolved as a group by comparing the old and new versions of the tracks. One thing that never seems to change is the undeniably talented and quirky voice of frontman Brian Sella, which never fails to put listeners in a good mood, no matter how grim the song matter.
My personal favorite off of "I Hate My Friends," though, is "You Wouldn't Be Laughing." It's pretty much just an honest, drunken point of view at a party, post-high school, about friends and a girl Sella was once romantically involved with. " High school is over and I've wasted too much time making sentences of words just because they rhyme. You wouldn't smile if you knew how I felt about every single one of you." It reminds me of how I felt post-graduation (although, let's be honest -- I felt like that before high school even started). Its pocket is eccentric and the hint of electric guitar and added drums towards the end following an acoustic-guitar led jam amps listeners up to even further extents.
Another track I can't help but love off the record is "Lonely Eyes." It's three minutes of pure cuteness. It's one of those songs where you listen to it with headphones and feel like someone is saying the lyrics to you over your shoulder. "If you need a little sunshine, you can borrow some of mine." Sella addresses a lonely-looking girl, saying she means so much to him that they don't even need to talk -- sitting in silence is more than enough. Fans of this song claim that any girl would be lucky to have this song dedicated to them by a significant other, and I can't help but agree.
"I Hate My Friends" contains 10 tracks that both old and new TFB fans alike should hear at least once in their life. Even if you hate it with every fiber in your being, you'll be able to say you know where your favorite band started.
Track List:
1. You Wouldn't Be Laughing
2. Lipstick Covered Magnet
3. Lonely Eyes
4. Taking My Uzi to the Gym
5. Current Events
6. Pale Beneath the Tan (Squeeze)
7. Push-Ups
8. Twelve Feet Deep
9. Be Nice To Me
10. If It Makes You Happy
