The Fauns’ self titled debut album comes as a superbly crafted, dreamy compilation of tracks that takes the listener on a journey, from the sadness of many melancholic vocals, to the hugely uplifting melodies.
The album opens as if it is awakening. The soft piano melody of ‘Lovestruck’ leads into the quietly whispered vocals of Alison Garner. This in a sense, does set the scene for the album; it is typically a ‘chill out’ number. The vocals are not overbearing, they are mixed into the whole sound of the track giving a terrific opening number to the record.
‘Cool Stuff’ takes off where the previous track left off. Not one of the greatest numbers on the album but by no means a poor effort.
‘Understand’ is the first record on the album that escapes the chilled out dreamy tone, and favours instead a far more indie sound. Alison Garner does not compromise her vocal style, and with a voice that flows like silk over every varying melody on the album, there is no need for any alteration.
The best track on the album comes in the name of ‘The Sun Is Cruising’. An absolutely stunning effort that sees the band loose their chill out shackles all together. A wave of distortion leads the track into a hugely powerful drumbeat that really kick starts the album. This track really does show the band as incredibly versatile and brilliantly talented.
‘Fragile’ is another very pretty track that sees the band return to their original mood of calm. The album really does manage to cater for all tastes, and truly succeeds in taking the listener of a voyage of emotions.
‘Road Meets The Sky’ is as euphoric and uplifting as any on the album. There is an ever so slight hint of Imogen heap with Alison Garner’s vocals, the similarly hollow and echoic singing style complimenting the accompanying melodies brilliantly.
The album does tail off rather weakly with tracks ‘Deranged’, ‘Come Around Again’ and ‘1991’ perhaps sounding overly similar to each other. But this does not detract from the overall quality of the album.
This new release is a terrific effort by a band that may prove popular with many. If the live show can match anywhere near the quality of this the new release, the future could be very promising indeed for the Fauns.