Faker - How Did We NotGet Loved?

Fri 11th Nov, 2011 in Music Reviews

Changes in musical direction can occasionally be beneficial, but generally speaking, when an artist veers off their successful path, it doesn’t end up with a fortunate ending. In the case of Sydney outfit Faker, their catchy pop-rock tunes such as This Heart Attack, Are You Magnetic and _Hurricane_were an almost instantaneous hits.

Following on from their Gold-selling album Be The Twilight, comes How Did We Not Get Loved?, a new five-track EP. This latest release does not see Faker sustain their positive songwriting form, ultimately ending up with a bit of a dud recording. It isn’t horrible, or unlistenable, but these singles are more like a collection of B-sides, which is somewhat of a disappointment after a rather good run of hit singles.

To open the proceedings, is a rather lazy and deflating track Bad Feeling, which sees lead singer Nathan Hudson slur through an almost atonal melody line, sounding almost off-key on every note. Generally, there is somewhat of a good dance or rock beat to Faker songs, but Bad Feeling uses a basic, slow and almost depressing drum rhythm. If the intention was to replicate the title, then surely they have created a rather bad feeling with this track, not the best way to start any recording.

The single from the EP, Back When Solvents, is certainly an improvement on the overall atmosphere from what was presented in Bad Feeling, however there is something missing, some hidden element that would normally shout excitement that was in anything that Faker used to make just isn’t there. However, with some rejigging of the verses and instrumentation, this song could be re-released and wouldn’t be half bad. The chorus is quite exceptional and shows off skills from the best of what Faker has previously created, but the verses are blatantly boring and all sounds like a bit of a drone.

The composition on the vast majority of How Did We Not Get Loved? is rather weak in execution and has a lot of bare instrumentation layers and lacks a bit of depth lyrically and musically. It lacks excitement and involvement, as audiences had been previously expecting of such an energetic group.

The remainder of the EP is fairly uneventful as well, with dull processed beats and a somewhat disinterested vocal input from Hudson. We can only hope that this release isn’t a reflection of their upcoming album, but if this is a sign of what is to come, then the change in direction for Faker is quite a negative one.