'Tales Don't Tell Themselves' is the latest album from Funeral For A Friend, which is set to cause surprise among the die-hard fans who were disappointed by their mainstream sound on first single and opening track 'Into Oblivion (Reunion)'.

Admittedly, the album does get off to a slow start - although tracks such as 'The Great Wide Open' show traces of the well-known post-hardcore Funeral For A Friend sound, there is definitely a prominent sound of very generic rock. It's nothing original on the ears, and in many ways, it's not what Funeral For A Friend should be. The lead guitar from the start is very similar to that in the previous albums, but it's not until almost half way through that the true FFAF sound shines through. 'On A Wire' is somewhat reminiscent of 'History' on their Hours album, and it's a song that easily stands out against the more "standard" songwriting that prevails throughout the album.

While there is a much more mellow, almost Lostprophets-esque sound generally, it is clear that the band have evolved and matured musically having chosen to experiment with different sounds and instruments. For some, this is a recipe for disaster, but for FFAF, it certainly sounds like they've cooked up something spectacular in most places. 'Part 1: Raise The Sail' incorporates violin sequences that add a great atmosphere to the sound and there is a somewhat epic sound on 'Part 2: Open Water', while 'Walk Away' is a song which could potentially reach out to most music fans.

'Out Of Reach' is the only track that truly sounds like it should be by Funeral For A Friend. That's no mean feat for the other tracks though - each one brings something special to the album, and the last track, 'The Sweetest Wave' is something of a masterpiece for the band, with piano obbligatos and violin seeping through the music as it builds up into an epic rock-fest.

It seems that the once heavy band have decided to show their softer side on this CD, which is often seen as a cry for popularity, but with FFAF, it certainly seems like it is simply an experiment with new sounds, and ultimately, it's worked extremely well for them. Fans may prefer their older CDs, but this really is one to be proud of, so does it really matter if they are thrown even further towards the spotlight?