I mischievously wanted to hate this album just so I could deliver an obvious but cutting jab at their rather ostentatious album title. Something like ‘I could not think of a more appropriate title for an album that gave me such high expectations and delivered such low results.” Then of course I realized this would be stupid and most importantly, not accurate. But it is true that the comparisons to Mogwai, Sigur Ros, and The Cure could elicit such a response from lazy critics seeking indie street cred. I however do not find much to compare from any of those obviously well placed name-droppings and must venture out on my own.
Faunts’ album “High Expectations/Low Results” is a wonderfully constructed debut that offers a unique lightness to the often-weighty mood of most brooding, highly instrumental acts. They rely on structure more than would let on with such an explosive yet ethereal sound, which allows the listener to gain continuity but still find it hard to match the ends and beginnings to their songs. They reward their listener with multiple layers of sound as they build and build but don’t rely on repetition to lengthen an already healthy song duration. Beautiful is the new black, and Faunt’s is decked in it, leaving only a white burning core to illuminate the dark.
The negatives on the album are somewhat intangible. The recording is a little too “slick” as their clean sound mixed with an obvious array of pedals and synthesizers reads a little cheeky at times. For better or for worse, this is the new sound. With all technology at our disposal, creating masterpieces on our computers is certainly possible, and is often a healthy thing. Unfortunately, once a debut is complete, bands often find it hard to recreate their successes if they relied too heavily on production and don’t have years of material to fall back on. For bands like Faunts, the struggle is finding a balance between their obviously stellar songwriting and their ghosty, icy exterior shown through a clean recording, soaked in reverb.
Fortunately, I think Faunts ultimately succeeds in this regard. “Gone with the Day” is beautiful in its reliance on songwriting as it’s core. If you have that strong center, you have a choice to make: add more layers because you are comfortable with the song, or add more layers to cover it up. More often than not, they choose the former. I suspect this is what will determine whether Faunts will live up to their ambition. |