Northern Irish indie rock band General Fiasco have certainly
taken their time releasing this record. These guys are young, and have tons of
potential, heard in their last album “Buildings”. Released in 2010 it had a
good few hits on it, such as “Ever So Shy”, “We Are The Foolish” and “Sinking Ships”.
In “Unfaithfully Yours” General Fiasco prove to us that they’re not just a
bunch of kids any more and were determined not to repeat themselves again sound
wise- emphasising a change in their approach to the whole musical process.
Since the influences and styles of the guys in General
Fiasco have also changed- along with age- the album sounds more solid, punkier
and altogether more mature. Songs like ‘Closer’, ‘Brother Is’, ‘Temper Temper’
and ‘Sleep’- with its quirky and upbeat guitar riffs- are classic party
anthems, bound to get you on your feet with catchy melodies and strong hooks. These
songs are where the main interest lies, because this is where we really hear
the maturity of General Fiasco. Most songs are fast paced, with Enda
Strathern’s impressive guitar and soloing skills leading most tracks and a
strong foundation of great drumming from Stephan Leacock. This was also made
easier with their new addition to the band- guitarist Stuart Bell- and he has
certainly brought a needed freshness.
The album opens with a loud burst of heavy drumming, in "Gold Chains",
probably there to get the listeners attention, and then dims down to a brisk
guitar melody, a bobbing bass and rolling drums. Owen Strathern’s voice rings
in with his suave Irish accent, aptly tuned for the surrounding instruments,
and an almost metal sounding guitar solos the way through. This is a really
good start to the album, but it’s not a true representation of the feel the
rest of the songs hold. Closer’ is the real starting point to all of this,
starting with a catchy drum beat, while a subtle and swift guitar starts playing.
Owen’s voice graces us once again and another slow and smooth guitar chimes in.
The chorus is an upbeat wave of music, bringing colour to the whole song, with
lines like “I wanna be closer. I wanna be eagle- eyed, we should be out
tonight. You should be here”.
Most of these songs are indie- pop to the core and advance
with the same up- tempo intensity. However, the album does have its fair share
of slow to mid- tempo songs, such as ‘Hollows’, ‘This Is Living’- a slow and
heartfelt track with just vocals and piano, and fan favourite ‘The Bottom’-
building up to echoing loud guitars, heavy drums with bullet like snares and
almost screaming vocals, from quiet
clicking drums and faint guitar. These songs add a nice break to the fast pace
of the majority of the album, and it creates a well-rounded record. It’s very
clear how much these guys have improved instrumentally and technically. These songs have big sounds, with well
thought out progressions and General Fiasco have given a more serious look at
what they are singing about.
It might seem as though, on the surface, most songs are just
fast- paced tracks carried by ripping guitars. However, there is an obvious
deeper meaning to it all. The album is a far more personal account of everyday
life, growing up and the emotions that go with this. Songs like ‘Brother Is’
and ‘The Age That You Start Losing Friends’ are about the uncanny advice one gets
from people and the responsibly of getting older, with lines like “You should
be more like your brother is. You should stay young the best you can... But
you’re a delicate boy, not a delicate man”. ‘Temper Temper’ is a song about
anger, how people often can’t or won’t deal with it until it all adds up to
something much bigger than the petty problems that trigger it. There has been
progress in the song writing, and you feel Owen Strathern means every single
word he writes, and this makes it that much easier for listeners to love.
An unfortunate downside to this album is that since they got
their new addition to the band in Stuart Bell, it seems as if they feel the need
to give a face- melting solo in every song. I personally find this really great
as it adds a more rock ‘n roll atmosphere to the album and Enda Strathern and
Stuart Bell are exquisite to listen to, but some may get fed up with it. There is
also only so much originality to ‘Unfaithfully Yours”. These guys are making
indie pop- rock, and that’s what most bands are doing these days. Although they
make this music very well, they will have to work extra hard to make it something
unique, although I'm sure they realise this. There also needs to be more
improvements only experience and practice could make. They need to do something
that can make them stand out more and not only limit their success to the UK.
And I have every bit of belief that they will do exactly this in their next
album.
All in all, “Unfaithfully Yours” is amazing for people who like
this type of genre. Its well- rounded and has the right balance of charming and
rugged. It has a different feel to it than most indie bands- probably because
so many people can relate to the topics and sound of the album. And you can
also listen to it over and over again without it getting tedious or old. These
guys seem to have given it their all, and that shows in the songs. I'm excited
to see them grow some more and see what they come out with next.
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