5 Songs I Love w/ Final Call

Following the release of their sophomore album, Eden, Flex caught up with Final Call to find out what inspires their energetic alternative rock sound. Blending infectious hooks, driving guitars and emotionally honest songwriting, the New York quartet balances arena-ready anthems with relatable stories about anxiety, self-doubt and the pressures of modern life. If you enjoy Final Call's picks, be sure to check out Eden at the end of the article.

1. Basket Case - Green Day

This song is very inspirational from a drumming standpoint, it’s kind of the gold standard for pop punk drums and it’s not easy to play so it felt really good when I was finally able to play it. This song influenced a lot of how i approach writing drum parts for our songs, served as a turning point in learning my instrument for me because there were techniques that I to learn just to be able to play it, and making that happen unlocked a whole new set of possibilities about what I could write and perform. 

2. Anthem Part 2 - Blink-182

Anthem part 2 and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket as a whole was influential for inspiring riffs in many of our earlier tracks such as Farewell and What Lies Ahead but inspiration can still be heard on songs such as 10/9 and High School Romance.

3. Speaking Terms - Snail Mail

This song sets the mood instantly from the opening riff. The mellow guitar arpeggiating over the add 9 chords creates this somber melancholy before any words have been spoken. And then the vocals come in, just kinda floating over the instrumental. There's nothing flashy or over produced about this song, any four piece could play it live and nail it. As a group of guys who really don’t know how to work the studio at all, that’s what I’d say we’re aiming for in every song. Something simple and straightforward that still carries a heavy emotional weight.

4. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

The song that not only defined an album, but a generation of emo and punk rock kids. How can a song that is so sad also be so uplifting? That’s the question I ask myself when I listen to this song and the question I tried to ask myself many times while writing the Eden album. Everything about this song is perfect - and everything challenges the standards of traditional emo anthems. A marching band beat, soaring operatic vocals, a piano ballad, a punk rock explosion, an anthemic and decrescendo outro. And the killer instrumentation is only half of it - the song represents the entire rock opera - merging story, themes, and imagery with the music in a way that proves Gerard Way’s multi-talented genius. Specifically, Gerard’s high pitched vocals which range from whispers to screams have had a huge impact on the melodies I sing. Perhaps most importantly of all - the song talks about defying adversity and above all being a good person and standing up for what is right, even when it seems like all might be lost. The diverse instrumentation and themes of this song and its album have been a huge inspiration to us as a band as we’ve expanded into concept album and other rock genre territories. It’s no wonder this song defined a generation. 

5. Wonderwall - Oasis

This song serves as the basis for I’m sure many of the best acoustic songs released over the past few years - it’s not only one of the best “acoustic” songs ever, it is one of the greatest songs ever - period. That being said - this song is a huge inspiration for many of our slower songs. Like few others can, this song strikes a perfect balance between an emotional ballad and a catchy rock anthem led by Liam Gallagher’s iconic voice. The poetic lyrics, the beautiful layered acoustic guitars, and the unbeatable melody are always in my head when I try to sit down and write something soft and meaningful. And Liam’s powerful and melodic vocals always serve as a good point of reference.

Listen to EDEN