Album Review: "Little White Lies" by Fastball

Well, it's been almost a week since I downloaded Fastball's newest album, "Little White Lies" and I've had enough time to absorb most of the songs to give you all a little review of what I think so far about it.

Starting off, if you look fondly upon the catchy, guitar-driven powerpop tunes of the late 90s-early 2000s, then this album will certainly not disappoint. Seemingly recapturing a simpler time in music, the band throws off the status quo of rock groups nowadays (heavy use of piano and pulsating clashing cymbals) and instead lets guitar riffs and melodies speak for themselves. The following are a few of my favorites from the album.

1. All I Was Looking for Was You - the first track begins with a simple solo guitar riff. The lyrics seem to reflect the aging of the band as they reflect becoming wiser when it comes to life and their choice in the opposite sex.

2. The Malcontent (Modern World) - a catchy lament of living in the present while being sick of it at the same time. Coming from the perspective of the band, they are reflective of their past successes while at the same time riffing on the celebrity status' that occupy their industry and how little that has changed since their initial work and that continues now 10 years past their entry.

3. Little White Lies - the title track's riff evokes a toned down similarity to those of Franz Ferdinand minus the dance floor pace. Lyrically, it deals with lying to oneself over the girl they can't forget or obsess over.

4. White Noise - nearing the end of the album, this all-out rocker will certainly leave skeptics of the band with a mild headache as they recover from the reverb and blistering harmonies.

Overall, if you are a diehard Fastball fan like myself you will certainly enjoy this album. For those who are looking for some rock music that doesn't make you want to go out and buy Emo gear, this album will also be a welcome reprieve from the mundane. For a good time, and to forget that you are in fact living in the modern world, this album is definitely for you.

Buy the album, but until then, enjoy this live version of "All I Was Looking for Was You":

On a Tuesday...

Beyond the obvious reasons why I'm looking forward to the end of the school year is a more blatant excuse for wanting the days to go by quickly. That excuse is the newest album release by the band Fastball on tuesday April 14th. The album, "Little White Lies" is the band's 5th release and their first since 2004.

My admiration for the band goes back to 1998 when I first really discovered MTV and their video for "The Way" got my interest. I later bought their album from the same year, "All the Pain Money Can Buy" only to hear that one song. But in recent years, I have listened to all of the songs on the album and now realize how great the band truly is. Now, they haven't had as big a project since 1998, but subsequent releases still delight hardcore fans like myself.

As part of the "Power Pop" musical genre, their music has edge but also has catchy melodies to keep the listener in full gear for sing-a-longs in the shower or on long car rides. I readily anticipate waking up on tuesday, going to the itunes store, downloading the entire album, and listening to the entire thing as my day of work and projects progresses. As soon as I have time to process and listen to the entire album, I hope to post my review on here for all to see. 

I'm sure this will be a good one, I got a warm, fuzzy feeling.