Fake Album Review!

For this post, I decided to put on my critic's hat and take a whack at reviewing a new album.

Just to be clear, the band's name is Fake, and the name of the album is "Fake As Well". I know it can get confusing, so bear with me. Its the first Fake release this year on the new up-and-coming label That Doesn't Exist. The Fake fan base has had an extreme reaction to the different direction they went with the music, and this has lead to very little real feedback for the band. I hope to correct this here.

When I first listened to the album, which is "Fake As Well", remember, I was struck with how weak the opening track was. In fact, it had such a small impact on me that it could have been removed entirely and the album wouldn't have sounded any different. It just felt like the band was completely absent when they were writing it. Fortunately they made up for the oversight with an impressive follow-up track, "Insert Girl's Name Here". The melodic layering of the dual lead guitars was like nothing I've ever heard, but what caught me the most was the way the vocal line hinted at themes in their earlier album, "I'm Making This Up". I can guarantee that this is something the band has never done before. Although I think it is worth noting that even though they were clearly experimenting with new ideas, I could definitely tell it was Fake.

This momentum tries to carry through the rest of the album, but it is broken up by the introspective ballad, "Whose Name Doesn't Matter". The last track, which if you are at all familiar with the band's albums, you probably could have guessed was "Fake As Well", closed off the album impressively, but due to the length of the album I doubt many people will ever actually listen to it.

The thing I was most disappointed with was the lack of creativity front man Notare Alname shows in his lyrics. Cliche lines like "Don't try and look for me, you know you won't find me", and "How much clearer can I say it for you to understand" pop up in the album time and time again, until it almost feels like he was just making them up on the spot. So even though there are a few bright spots in this album, they are the exception, not the rule. But don't get discouraged fans, this is Fake, and I am sure their best work is still to come.

On a side note, if you get a chance you should absolutely go see a live Fake performance. I promise you wont miss the money you spend on it.