Review – Farewell Old Friends

Invisible Endings

There are closures in life that slip past you, unseen and hidden at the time. It is only later you realize the finality of the thing that has now ended.

I remember the group of neighborhood friends I hung out with all the time in the preteen years. Bike rides, trails, sports, water balloon fights, and so much more. But there was a final time we all hung out together, even if none of us realized it on that day.

I remember my high school friends and all the memories together. Summers in the pool or playing hoops, endless sports debates, discovering music, ministry opportunities, crying in laughter. But there was a final time we all hung out together, even if none of us realized it on that day.

I remember when my kids were little. One of my favorite things to do was put them up on my shoulders. They could see the world from a whole different perspective and I could feel their little chunky legs kick in excitement. But there was a final time that happened with each of them, even if we didn’t realize it on that day.

Life has these invisible endings – a stealth closure of things that is only perceived when looking back.

A favorite band of my youth and college years is Bleach. Their unique blend of energy, space rock, and authentic lyrics always resonated with me. And from 1996 to 2005, I loved each album they put out. Their music encouraged me in my faith and I felt they occupied a singular place in the Christian music scene.

Then, the news came that they would no longer make music. At least this wouldn’t be an invisible ending – I knew they were done.

But they had one last gift to give – a goodbye album. In 2005 they released Farewell Old Friends – a collection of new songs to close it out. They would not tour that record or do anything beyond it, a true rarity in the music industry. The album was the ending. 

And so, with the freedom to compose an ending statement, Bleach delivered one of the better albums of their entire catalog.

Track Highlights

Track four is called “Took It By The Hand” and this captures the mixture of hope and melancholy of the whole project. The lead singer, Davy Baysinger, is taking full measure of the last 10 years of Bleach. He sings, “Took it by the hand and we watered it like plants, But we just don’t know if its gonna grow, The turning point is gone but we’re just pressing on, And we still don’t know if these flowers will grow.”

It’s a very honest sentiment to look back on 10 years of hard work and ask (publicly): Did this work? Did this produce fruit? Will these “flowers grow?” Was it worth it? Can we now move forward?

The first verse my father taught me was Ecclesiastes 9:10 which says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….” A simple call to maximize whatever you go after. If you’re going to do something then take it by hand and water it.

Davy isn’t lost in mere nostalgia though as he continues “I don’t mind the change, if it makes you happy, that’s fine.” As one season of life is completed, there is another on the horizon.

Track five, “Condition,” follows with a different type of looking back. A friend has taken a wrong turn. “This is a condition, That you’re living in, And you won’t win, So turn it off and start it up again.” A reminder that not all progress happens in the right direction. 

A return is possible as the bridge hits, “It takes a sea of change, That I cannot explain, I can’t wait for it come.” The condition can end, repentance is a path to take. This track also functions as one of the better produced songs on the record. The sparse beat and keyboard (with some strings and ringing bells) introduce a lighter dynamic to what could otherwise be a somber call out of a friend.

Following up those two tracks is “To The Top” which brings a righteous fury to the surface. Where “Condition” was a gentler statement, this track has sizzle from the “roar” to begin the song. 

“Someone is gonna have to pay for all the innocent blood that was shed here today.” These are grave accusations.

However, after a lengthy instrumental section….the song concludes with a powerful tag:

“There is hope for the humble, And there are mansions for the meek, There is life after this life, The pure in heart will receive, There is power in the knowledge, That we are all so frail and weak, So try and hold on, It won’t be long, Try to hold on, Cause we’re moving on.” One of the best endings to any Bleach song right there.

A consideration wouldn’t be complete without “Good As Gold,” the second to last track on the album. Following on the heels of some of the heaviest songs (thematically and musically) of the album, “Good As Gold” is a hopeful, bright anthem. 

A plea for “Sunshine, come and do your shining,” as Bleach now looks to a future apart from the band. “Sweetness oh the sweetness, And I’m raising my eyes up to the hill.” Salvation is from the Lord. He is is the Help that is being called upon.

Best Of The Best

A proper goodbye can be really difficult to put into words. So perhaps taking the time to compose the words on paper can help bring focus and clarity. The album opens with “Write It Down” – maybe a meta commentary on the whole idea of ending with an album instead of a tour. 

“I’ll sing a song for you, This my confession, You are my obsession, And nothing else will do.” This goodbye isn’t forced or from a bad place. There is hope for the future. “The time has come for it to end, We’ll live again.”

The chorus rings out “If you’re not listening now, If you’re not listening now, I’ll write it down.” 

Personally, a spiritual discipline I’ve used for many years is journaling (if you’re interested, I’ve written about that here. Here. And here). There is something about slowing down and taking the time to compose my prayers to God. Even when I feel distant from Him, writing down those prayers bring hope. 

Finally, I must discuss “Sufficient/Knocked Out.” This song is everything I wanted from a goodbye-album even though I didn’t even know those existed! 

A masterpiece celebration of the forgiveness and grace of God. The guitars and drums announce it right from the beginning. “And just to taste forgiveness, To taste Your mercy….So I’ll embrace forgiveness, It’s the greatest gift I have found, And just at the right time, Your hand of mercy reaches down.”

Joining Davy is a female background vocalist as the call rings out, “Hallelujah, You are sufficient, Hallelujah, You are sufficient.” This first section of the song is beautiful worship and the lyrics, music, and production all align so well.

Then a callback slowly emerges on the horizon as the song continues (it is over ten minutes long!). On a previous album (Again For The First Time) Bleach had a song called “Not Knocked Out” which would also be one of my favorites from them. That song is an honest cry for God that is from a place of “complacency” and “meaningless motions.”

The bridge on “Knocked Out” erupts in hope as Davy sings “I will sing at the top of my lungs, I will dance even if I’m the only one, And I hope that we’ll never be apart, I will sing and I hope He heals my heart.” That bridge functions as a powerful transition of no longer looking at the sin and circumstances but upon the Savior Himself. It is one of the finest moments in their catalogue.

Now, Davy revisits that bridge and chorus again on this goodbye album. And Bleach is comfortable enough in the freedom of this unique opportunity to turn it into something bigger and more diverse. There is time for crying out to God, “Won’t You save me from this?” And “I’m at the bottom, I’m at the bottom of it all, So won’t You save me?”

Then finally, a return to worship in the sparse, quiet ending. “It is well, it is well, It is well with my soul, Save me…..Jesus name above….”

To me, the song is a real gift. The extended nature of it all and the callback to previous work is so fitting. Being over ten minutes long, it’s not a song that fits on all types of playlists, but… I’m so glad the song exists. 

In the book of Psalms, there are multiple Psalms that contain a wide range of emotions. This song feels adjacent to that in the best kind of way. It is grand, small, focused, sprawling, dark, and hopeful all at the same time. 

A Heartbeat Is Heard

My favorite Bleach song of all time is from a different album (their self-titled one) and it is called “Heartbeat.” Why would that fit here, at the end of a review of a goodbye album that is 20 years old? 

A heartbeat means something isn’t dead. It’s alive. And now, at the time of this writing (Spring 2026), Bleach is alive. They have reunited and put on a few shows in the past year. And it was only because of previous preaching commitments that I couldn’t make it to one of those shows.

In June, I will be taking my teenage sons to see them live here in San Antonio. They’ve grown to love Bleach (good sons!!). Through the years they’ve heard me voice the regret of “That was one band I never got to see live and I wish I had!” Now, that changes. We are going to see Bleach live, again for the first time.

In life, there are goodbyes…but there are also greetings! There are endings that are invisible but there are beginnings that are vibrant and new. 

And sometimes, long after a Farewell, it is good to say Hello.

Have you listened to Bleach before? Have a favorite song? Just discovering them here? Let me know in the comments.

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