Face of Man is a balance between the anxious and the cool, calm, and collected. When thoughts, memories, and particular emotions accumulate on the mind, your gut fills with the worst kind of knot; your conscience does nothing but open the door to more and more mental debris. In the jazz-meets-math rock guitar riffs that weave in and out of one another throughout Face of Man, this tangled mess of internal matter is well represented. Whether they’re providing the central rhythm, texture, or running with their own melody, the guitars say just as much, if not more, than the words of singer Alex Silva.
And while there’s certainly a bit of an anxious air beneath the surface of Face of Man, the music also clearly radiates a sophisticated confidence with the music’s understated wit and finely tuned precision. Silva, who also serves as guitarist, bassist Charlie Hack, and drummer Jesse Chevan sound casual but determined in their performances – making room for both heavy moments (“Ethnopoetics”) as well as softer, mellow moments (“A Sharper Image”). As a band, Face of Man is capable of balancing hooks with impressive instrumentation, which makes for an album that’s capable of being catchy as well as musically acute; it’s a well-rounded mix of indie pop, indie rock, math rock, jazz, and even elements of R&B. Stories are told with a certain reverence, set against the polished but heartfelt backdrop of slick, winding guitars, bass, and drums.
This is an album that keeps you in line, but reminds you that dreams can help keep us grounded, as well. It’s the sound of discovery, of trying to understand the inner-workings of the little things in life. You can learn a lot if you just open yourself to the experience.
Face of Man
Bandcamp
1 comment:
Bangin'
Post a Comment