The Faint Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
After a four-year break that involved building their own recording studio and setting up their own label, Blank.Wav, the Faint return with Fasciinatiion, a set of songs that are as ambitious as they are sleek -- and tweaked: "I might distort myself a bit," Todd Fink sings on "Mirror Error," but that's an understatement. Virtually any sound that can be altered or augmented on the album has been, illustrating the blurring of man and machine that is one of Fasciinatiion's major themes. On "Forever Growing Centipedes," fuzzed-out beats and keyboards zap and twitch like they're attached to electrodes, while "The Geeks Were Right"'s chunky bassline gives the song's dystopian rock an electro-inspired backbone. While Wet from Birth's symphonic flourishes have been pruned, Fasciinatiion is just as ambitious as its predecessor, spinning cautionary tales about science, surveillance, and pop culture sleaze and setting them to kinetic, self-consciously synthetic backdrops. This love-hate relationship with technology is the cleverest thing about the album -- at least in theory. In practice, Fasciinatiion is almost as much of a mixed bag as Wet from Birth was; songs like "A Battle Hymn for Children" take the album's themes in overwrought directions. Other tracks have interesting concepts but don't do much musically, such as the tense childhood memories of "Fulcrum and Lever" and "I Treat You Wrong," which dissects a manipulative relationship with the clinical distance of an autopsy. On the other hand, "Fish in a Womb"'s squirm-inducing words ("That slice in my neck, it's oozing jelly clear as glass") detract from the song's subtly pretty melody and arrangement. The Faint's pop skills match their conceptual ambition more than a few times, however: "Machine in the Ghost" and "Mirror Error" are bouncy and spare, with skeletal rhythms just strong enough to support their surprisingly sweet melodies. "Psycho," the album's most overtly playful track, resembles a slowed-down Brainiac song with its squeaking synths and rubbery guitars, and "Get Seduced"'s pop culture tirade comes attached to some of the band's most nagging hooks. Fasciinatiion clicks enough of the time to make it a step forward from Wet from Birth, and despite its unevenness, at times it can be fasciinatiing. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Since the breakout success the Faint had with 2001's Danse Macabre, the band's sound has become more mature and eclectic, as Wet from Birth, the group's fourth album, demonstrates. Relying less on overpowering synths and more on subtle electronics, prickly guitar work, and heavy, often chopped-up beats, the band sounds both more rock and more overtly electronic than it ever has before, while avoiding dated electroclash pitfalls. Though the Faint still mines the '80s for inspiration, the band seems to be moving forward, however slightly, with songs like album opener "Desperate Guys," which sets a typically Faint tale of sexual dysfunction to trilling violins, twanging guitars, and glitchy rhythms. The jabbing guitars on "I Disappear" have hints of dance-punk lurking around the edges -- which isn't really surprising, since the Faint has been influenced by new wave and post-punk since long before many of the new new wave revivalists existed -- and "Southern Belles in London Sing" enlists Azure Ray's vocals as a part of the song's fey, Baroque synth pop confection. But though Wet from Birth is the Faint's most modern and ambitious-sounding work, the album is let down too often by weak and predictable songwriting. The group's dystopian, Phillip K. Dick-goes-pop vision of dysfunctional relationships, conspicuous consumption, and corrupt politics is growing stale and overly jaded: "Symptom Finger"'s denouncement of as-seen-on-TV pharmaceuticals is well meaning and its throbbing, feverish synths are evocative, but clunky catch phrases like "telepharmavangelism" just get in the way. Likewise, "Paranoiattack" has the rhetorical thrust of !!! or Radio 4, but it comes a little too late to the (political) party. "Birth," a graphic remembrance of conception and being born, aspires to be powerful, but lyrics such as "my brain wouldn't fit through her organ of sex" just sound kind of ridiculous. Worse, throughout the album Todd Baechle's famously choppy, monotonous delivery sounds more dull than detached. Even though Wet from Birth occasionally gets tripped up on its own ambitions, it still has its share of enjoyable tracks: "Erection" might be a puerile in-joke, but its X-rated rewrite of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" is still undeniably fun; the dark, dubby "Phonecall" is a welcome addition to the ranks of stalker pop; and "Dropkick the Punks" does indeed kick things into gear in a way that should have happened more often on the album. Containing some of the Faint's best and worst moments, Wet from Birth is often a frustrating album; while the band's style is evolving, the Faint still needs to work on its substance. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
'Danse Macabre Remixes'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 10
Label Virgin America/Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Faint have brought together a widely varied bunch to remix the Danse Macabre record. There is a mix of straight-ahead dance music, experimental techno, and some mixes that stay within the bounds of new wave revivalism that the Faint so gladly take part in. The dancefloor contingent is led by Thin White Duke, whose mix of "The Conductor" is quite house-y, and Paul Oakenfold, whose mix of "Glass Danse" makes it sound like a lost Depeche Mode track -- a good lost Depeche Mode track. Of the more experimental remixes, the highlights are the Calculators' mix of "Posed to Death" -- it's laid-back and almost funky techno, making use of the original's vocals, twisting and molding them in strange ways -- and Photek's industrial hash of "Total Job," balancing the arch original vocal over the top of a throbbing, distorted beat. Medicine also turns in an interesting revamp of "Ballad," blending stately string sections, distorted vocals, and blippy synths into an affecting, emotional tune. The new wavers' charge is led by Ursula 1000's funky mix of "Your Retro Career Melted," which sounds like a Gang of Four outtake -- a good Gang of Four outtake. A couple of the mixes are pretty bland: Jagz Kooner's mix of "Agenda Suicide" is uneventful and Tommie Sunshine's mix of "Let the Poison Spill from Your Throat" uses some very boring guitars and obvious vocal effects. Despite these weak tracks, overall this is a solid record. Fans of the Faint will not be disappointed. The remixers didn't mix all of the band's unique style into oblivion; they left quite a bit. Devotees of electroclash-style techno and dance music will also find much here to enjoy. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In popular music one thing is for certain: old genres never die or completely fade away; they just recycle. On Danse Macabre the Faint lovingly and accurately resurrect all that was memorable/forgettable about the disposable hits of 1980s: repetitive dance beats propelled by sterile drum machines, monotone vocals, spastic outbursts of cacophony, and hypnotic keyboard synthesizer motifs. But don't hold that against them. Like Soft Cell, Human League, Gary Numan, and Kraftwerk, the Faint have the ability to pen strong hooks, most notably in the tracks "Posed to Death," "Let the Poison Spill," and "The Conductor," which would have been monster hits in the dawn of the age of MTV. The lyrics are decadent but not offensive, often spinning surrealistic tales that vaguely detail the seamy side of disco-club life. Proudly wearing their new romantic/new wave heart on their collective sleeve, the Faint offer a campy yet playfully dark collection that is purely an exercise in Reagan-era pop-culture nostalgia. ~ Tom Semioli, All Music Guide
'Blank-Wave Arcade'
Release Date 6/1/2000
Tracks 9
Label Saddle Creek
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Faint's second album Blank-Wave Arcade delivers more choppy new-wave rhythms, spiky guitars, and acidic, old-school synths, with a little punk-rock attitude thrown in for good measure. While the group has been compared to the usual suspects, like Gary Numan, Devo, and the Cure, there is also a strong resemblance to Blur's new wave/punk fusion -- especially in singer Todd Baechle's staccato, faux-Brit delivery -- and the Normal's fascination with sex and cars pops up on the Faint's angular, uptight songs, especially "Sex Is Personal," "Worked Up So Sexual," and "Cars Pass in Cold Blood." "Victim Convenience" and "The Passives" are dystopian and futuristic, while "Sealed Human" presents a quieter, more interesting version of the band's sound, mixing a drumbeat that sounds like the purr of a touch-tone phone with modem-like synths and processed vocals. Though originality isn't their strong suit, the Faint do display an aggressive, dynamic reinterpretation of their influences, suggesting that their synthetic new wave can be just as entertaining as the real deal. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The debut recording from Omaha, NE's the Faint is a far cry from the danceable, beat-heavy records the group went on to produce, but it is nonetheless a fine record and a worthy addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys the music that has come out of the band or their town's overflowing music scene. Bearing likeness to peers ranging from Cursive to Lullaby for the Working Class, as well as to influences like the Cure, Media is a rock record with new wave sentiments and melodic ideals. Vocalist Todd Baechle has a powerful presence, and his mildly affected vocals consistently build toward slightly abstract yet hook-laden choruses. Tracks like "Some Incriminating Photographs" feature bouncy drumbeats and loose guitars, and others, like "Lullaby for The...," contain uncharacteristic acoustic string arrangements. There are also plenty of songs that point clearly in the electronic direction the band would later head, but for the most part, Media is a rock record, and a good one at that. Jagged guitar lines take the lead on a number of tracks, and the mood is fairly dark, though at times the sheer genius of a song's refrain propels it toward a more triumphant plateau. Fans of the band's later expansive electro sounds may be disappointed by the polished rock act that surfaces on this disc, but the straightforward presentation proves that the members are just as talented without the aid of machines, and the memorable rock moments are so good they don't have to prove a thing. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide
