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THE REVIEW
Nebraska. Early '90s.
Against the bored and desolate backdrop of the city of Omaha, the sad and angry children of the American Midwest gather around the record collective "Saddle Creek Records."
The mission is unequivocally low budget and lo-fi, and the artistic roster magically reconciles emocore, folk-rock, and new-wave. In the shadow of the mainstream, prestigious brands like Bright Eyes, Cursive, and The Faint solidify. The latter self-proclaim as the pioneers of the '80s revival, without unnecessary fashionable varnishing.
Diverting from the pavement indie rock path (after their debut album "Media"), the band tests an original Electro-SynthPop formula, drawing inspiration from the aseptic and sophisticated sound of Human League, Depeche Mode, and Talking Heads. Todd Baechle and company abandon guitar riffs and start playing with analog synths and drum machines, winking at the New York "all-star and glitter" scene.
"Wet From The Birth" came out in 2004, and the result is slightly below the expectations of the horrific, yet overwhelming "Danse Macabre," of which an interesting remix collection was released by Astralwerks. The album is undeniably enticing and sly. It entertains without resorting to clichéd and banal commercial idioms. Arrangements and lyrics are bold and cheeky, and everything is spiced with a strong self-irony. In this project, The Faint refine their research on the expressive potential of keyboards, adding a massive dose of strings and dance rhythms. In the musical approach, the indelible Punk inspiration of Orange, Bad Brains, and Dead Kennedys remains well identifiable.
At the production, Saddle Creek's home deus ex machina, Mike Mogis, a master at rationalizing the hyperbolic inventiveness of Omaha's band.
During the listening, the rhythms marked by electronic beats stand out powerfully, with some electroclash incursions like in "Symptom Finger." Dark-gothic citations are not lacking, like in "Birth," and brazen references to Depeche Mode like in "Erection"... "I Dissapear" could easily be a super MTV hit: pulsating rhythmic base, delirious text, and a brief foray into goth-progressive items.
A nice hodgepodge, disjointed and schizophrenic, where sounds range from Nine Inch Nails guitarisms to techno rhythms in Basement Jaxx style...
Eclectic or zany? Over-the-top or ingenious?
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Summary by Bot
The Faint's 2004 album 'Wet From The Birth' marks a distinctive shift from indie rock to a unique electro-synthpop sound. Influenced by 80s icons like Depeche Mode and Talking Heads, the band fuses punk energy with synth-driven dance rhythms. Produced by Mike Mogis, the album offers bold arrangements with wit and self-irony. Though slightly below the expectation set by 'Danse Macabre', it remains an inventive and eclectic work.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
The Faint
The Faint are an American band from Omaha, associated with Saddle Creek Records. They shifted from guitar-based indie rock to a synth-driven electro-synthpop/new-wave approach on releases such as Wet From The Birth (2004). Production collaborations with Saddle Creek figures such as Mike Mogis are noted in reviews.01 Reviews
