Hybrid bands are fun. They always keep you on your toes. When listening to their albums you hear a song that sounds like one genre, and then the next song sounds completely left field, and this can either become a good or bad thing. With The Faunts, it’s a very good thing. With an overall sound only describable as dreamy post-pop, this diverse debut is sure to start stirring some interest.
The album title can tell you two things. First, that the band is really self-conscious. Second, that the sound of the album is a low result in the manner of expectations. The serene, ambient structures fluctuate and weave through the song’s allotted time with a total indication of independence. Structure actually wouldn’t be a suitable word because of the instruments’ echoey effects to fall wherever they please. Even the vocals are carefree to the point where you don’t know if he’s even singing lyrics, but rather swimming with the ships.
The album opens up with four minutes of hi-fi, stormy, yet muffled, ambience. Because of the sound of this first song, you pretty much expect the rest of the album to carry out in a similar fashion…but you couldn’t be more wrong. The next track starts just as delicate, but soon explodes into a post- rock dirge. The muffled quality of the sound mixed with the ever-changing, ever-growing wind effects bring a new format to the sound, as well as the drums playing some rather intricate stuff for post-rock during the loud sections. While the quieter areas of the song sound divine and fragile, the louder parts somehow make the same pattern of notes sound wholly ominous.
If that wasn’t enough of a change for you from the first track, the next is sure to catch you off guard. Memories Of Places We’ve Never Been is a Cure tribute song essentially, but done so very well. They use the same synth sounds and rhythm patterns, but still sounding very much in their own rite, with the vocals sounding like Silversun Pickups at times. Easily one of the most enjoyable tracks on here. The next two songs carry on with a Sigur Ros themed sound, with silver bells implemented quite nicely. Faunts have a knack for writing pretty short, and fulfilling, post-rock tracks, and aside from their thirteen minute brooding session the tracks rarely go over six minutes.
The album ends as it began, the ultimate dream soundtrack. Marking their place in music’s mind, they’ve already put out their second record, with their third record coming out in February of 2009. Faunts is most certainly an interesting band to watch for, and because of their assorted and free approach to writing they have the ability to appeal to all sorts of audiences. Maybe if you come into this record with high expectations, your result will be a tranquil satisfaction, with the subtle urge to continue this dream.
