Denver, CO brings us Fair Day, an indie acoustic-electronic singer/songwriter. A veteran of many styles and genres--everything from jazz, punk and R&B to orchestras and choirs--he had a long break from music while training to be a doctor. Once he emerged from his residency, he dusted off some old songs, finished the writing and polished them up, resulting in the self-recorded and produced six-track Undertow EP.
Fair Day considers the electric guitar to be his instrument of choice, and Undertow has plenty of guitars. Tones tend toward the indie-pop with chiming arpeggiated figures and clean, easy-on-the-ears amp settings. The title track is the most texturally varied as Fair Day spreads his wings a bit and employs a number of different guitar sounds, including some appropriately chunky fuzz. The guitar work is complemented with synthesizers and synthesized percussion, as well as Fair Day’s smooth vocals. In an interesting twist, he’s used auto-tune and vocoder in a few places. (Attention, Cher: if you’re looking for your gear, it’s in Denver.) This takes the tunes, which could have been delivered in a coffee house open-mic style, into a modern, almost dance-hall electronic direction. It’s somewhat unexpected, especially when the auto-tune first kicks in on “Tungsten,” but it works and provides a little bit of drama. On “Oh, Death” for instance, this electronic treatment provides a very stark contrast with the somber lyrics. The music works well, but where the album really shines is in Fair Day’s lyrics. Take some of the imagery in “Tungsten:” “I know the place I want to get tonight / Filaments of tungsten burning bright / Tell me, baby, when you see the wash of wavelengths / Will you see my silhouette appear before you in the summer heat?” Terrific! Clipping out just one stanza of “No Saul”’s wanderlust story won’t do it justice; you’ll have to listen (and read) for yourself. Bonus points are awarded for the use of “cryptograph” and “circumnavigates,” which both appear in the same song (“Figures”). Fair Day’s parting lyric is “Oh, death – won’t you spare me over for another year?” Let’s hope so, and let’s hope that year brings us another Fair Day release. In the meantime, bring life to your ears with these electro-indie-pop delights.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|