Fair To Midland - Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True
Rating
RIYL
OceansizeOpus Dai
Dredg
Label
Serjical StrikeTracklist
1. Dance of the Manatee2. Kyla Cries Cologne
3. Vice/Versa
4. Wife, The Kids, And the White Picket Fence
5. April Fools and Eggmen
6. Seafarer's Knot
7. Wolf Descends Upon the Spanish Sahara
8. Walls of Jericho
9. Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes
10. Upgrade^Brigade
11. (When the Bough Breaks) Say When
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re•hash (rē-hăsh')
tr.v., -hashed, -hash•ing, -hash•es.
1. To bring forth again in another form without significant alteration: rehashing old ideas.
2. To discuss again.
In formulating a personal definition of this word, many will find their view more negatively slanted than that of the dictionary quoted above; most rehashes, after all, are dull, tepid and repetitive. So, upon hearing that Fair to Midland’s new album, Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times is True, was to contain no less than six songs adapted and reworked from their previous full-length, Inter.Funda.Stifle, my heart sank faster than a manatee caught in a seafarer’s knot.
Fortunately, Inter.Funda.Stifle was a killer record and its revised material supplements the band’s new ideas elegantly; “Walls of Jericho,” for instance, mimics the cozy nooks of a recently reupholstered armchair, letting listeners slide into comfortably familiar folds of riff-heavy progressive rock, fingertips dragging over the crisp, supportive fabric of a broader instrumental range as Darroh Sudderth’s transformed yodel-crooning brings exhilarating dreams. In refinishing these songs, the group introduces a tone of maturity retrospectively absent on previous outings.
Musical growth and furniture metaphors aside, Fair to Midland christens their new album by immediately slighting longtime fans: “Dance of the Manatee,” “Kyla Cries Cologne” and “Vice/Versa,” three consecutive rehashes, are well-executed but begin the album on a disheartening note by obstructing the path to new material. As track four, “The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence,” finally commences, the level anticipatory buzzing in my skull reaches a near deafening crescendo that’s thankfully appeased by charismatic hooks, churning waves of distorted guitar and a dash of Irish ditty that produce a stand-out track without upsetting the album’s flow.
The more aggressive “April Fools and Eggman” is similarly striking, as are the other original tracks, but new songs on a new record should never feel forced to blend in with old music; it cheapens the band’s body of work and may confuse casual listeners. Fair to Midland, however, who may have incorporated these past winners reluctantly at the behest of a coercive record label, overcome the difficulties of earning fresh attention without alienating longtime followers by way of an unforeseen enthusiasm; they sow creative energy into a retired list of songs by rehabilitating their capacity to engage unfamiliar musical surroundings. The resulting musical experience is a polished and complete one, and that alone is an irrefutably praiseworthy accomplishment.
--Scott Miller
Comments
Dallas, Texas
What still annoys the hell out of me is that they could have re-recorded ALL of the old songs in addition to the new ones like so many other artists do (speaking of which, just got my Paulson, Shearwater, and Wintersleep reissues in the mail), indie or major.
Secondly, while they certainly aren't bad, the new cuts fail to impress to the same level as the rehashes.
Atascadero, CA
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Dallas, Texas
That's probably because of the absurd amount of studio polish that's on this release. Cleaning up a song is one thing, but a lot of the organic feel of this band's music was lost. Which is another thing at bothers me about this disc. Half the time Darroh Sudderth's voice has been distorted and reverbed so badly that he sounds like fuckin' HAL 9000.
El Paso, TX
I used to hate cell phones, but now I hate car accidents
Tucson, AZ
AZ
www.myspace.com/arcoftheaurora
Sacramento, CA
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Austin
The Daily Galaxy
An elephant that never forgets...to kill!
Oklahoma
That being said, I have one (minor) beef with this album: the "screaming," or whatever you would like to call it, in "Dance Of The Manatee," sounds retarded. Seriously. It nearly ruins a great song. I have the exact same complaint concerning Opus Dai. Just stick to singing guys.
Sacramento, CA
the screaming on this song on inter.funda.stifle is aces, though.
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Oklahoma
I love you.
Sacramento, CA
I'm not here to make things better; only to observe and pass judgement.
Minnesota
Finally got this CD... why the hell did I not seek it out sooner? I don't know what the rest of you were listening to, but this is some amazing shit. I love every minute of this disc. It caught me from the get-go.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
welcome.
one of the best albums of the past 10 years, without a doubt. I prefer the original recording though.
San Francisco, CA
yes, listen to inter.funda.stifle. and enjoy even more
Fishers, Indiana
This. Fucking. Band.
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