South by Port Townsend? The New Faces Effectively Recycle Old Sounds
New Faces – Two Years
Loveless Records
A fun, sloppy rock mess. That’s what I’d call the New Faces’ Two Years album.
Sometimes sounding like The Editors, The Strokes, Interpol, The Hives and always The Clash, this eleven track album is as catchy as the common cold. These Port Townsend boys haven’t necessarily created the most original sound, but some albums aren’t made for breaking new ground.
Check out “Impulse,” Ms. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and “She’s Like the Snow” for examples of this band’s ability to deliver a great post-punk tinged pop song.
Unfortunately, there are also a couple of songs that sound almost identical (“Across The City” and “You To Me”) and the low point is definitely “Stop Saying Those Stupid Words,” which features some of the worst lyrics I’ve heard in awhile. “Would you walk with me or sit down by a summer tree?” Eh?
Luckily for the listener, at that song’s close, Two Years picks up immediately with one of the best songs on the album, the Bloc Party sounding “She’s Like The Snow”. Then there’s “My Alarm,” which I could listen to over and over again. From the buzzy opening guitar to the Beat Happening vocals to the funny chorus and drums that are ready to break free and leave the rest of them behind, it’s a great song.
Overall, this little ray of sloppy sunshine will keep well on your I-Pod and may provide enough vitamin D to get you through these last few dreary months. So Take Two Years for what it is – a solid debut from a young band with the potential to grow in to something spectacular. – (7/10)
The New Faces play the South by Seattle showcase in Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 21 with a slew of other great Northwest bands. They get back to the Northwest just in time for our Nada showcase at the all-new Crocodile on March 25.