Fair To Midland: Fables From A Mayfly - What I Tell You Three Times Is True
Fair To Midland - Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True - out Sept 24th
Monday, 24, Sep 2007 12:15
Universal Republic Records, out Sept 24th
In a nutshell...
Slightly angsty but energetic rock
What's it all about?
Whereas Fair To Midland's previous LP Inter. Funda. Stifle. was a darker affair, sporting a chaotic undercurrent, Fables From A Mayfly is a slick and dynamic beast unleashing 11 urgently heroic tracks.
Who's it by
Vocalist Darroh Sudderth's voice seamlessly bounds from melodic to rock and roll, sneering throughout Fables and he's consistently aided by Brett Stowers' drums, Cliff Campbell's guitar, Jon Dicken's bass and Matt Langley's keyboards.
This Texan ensemble have not stopped developing since their 2001 debut and Fables illustrates the band at their most cohesive, drawing inspiration from rock's history and varied genres, but ably stamping their own authority on material.
A point reflected by their executive producer Serj Tankian, who said: "It's not often one comes across bands that are poetic, progressive and memorable. Fair To Midland is such a band."
As an example.
"If you're keeping score then you're bound to win a ringside seat at the main event." - A Wolf Descends Upon The Spanish Sahara
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
It's very easy to imagine Fair To Midland thanking all and sundry as they wave the silverware - and just as simple to imagine the exact opposite happening to these rocking hombres from the Lone Star State.
What the others say
"Fair To Midland seem to have traded in the more despairing and turbulent atmosphere of their previous album for a gentler, more otherworldly one this time around, a sure sign of artistic growth." - Ssmt-reviews.com
"The resulting musical experience is a polished and complete one, and that alone is an irrefutably praiseworthy accomplishment." - DecoyMusic.com
So is it any good?
There's no denying Fair To Midland's penchant to mine rock history, from Black Sabbath and 'hair metal' like Europe to grunge and thrash, and to rework their own older material on this LP with Vice/Versa getting a makeover, but the band's passion and energy whisks you on a near-cinematic musical voyage.
None of the album's 11 tracks are dull filler although certain numbers impatiently clamour for your attention, notably the powerful closing song Say When with its old-school firepower and the brooding Vice/Versa that is a love match between majestic vocal harmonies and roaring guitar and drums.
The inclusion of viola and violin on Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes and Walls Of Jericho add a wonderful sea shanty quality, supplementing Fables' historical aspect. However, there's a sense of late teen angst sliding in and out of the album that sours the brew somewhat.
8/10
Lee Davis
"These guys are awesome and I love this album. I have been watching their new kyte video blog on their MySpace page. It's got some pretty cool footage on it. Check it out here http://www.myspace.com/fairtomidland" - Enby Chan