Fair to Midland’s latest effort sets them apart with a unique, quirky sound

December 31, 2007 · Print This Article

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The first single from Fair to Midland’s latest album, the awkwardly-titled Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True, is entitled “Dance of the Manatee”. It has nothing to do with dancing or manatees, as far as I can tell; for that matter, I’m not sure what exactly it’s about at all. I still can’t stop listening to it, and that basically sums up the entire album: it’s either deep and poetic or total nonsense, but either way it’s awesome music and definitely worth a look.

Fair to Midland’s sound could probably be best described as the result of an unholy copulation between System of a Down and Armor for Sleep, though it’s probably not a good idea to think about that too hard. It’s a little lighter than the former and a lot harder than the latter. Basically, it’s unlike most of what’s out there right now. Innovation alone doesn’t make a great album, but fortunately Fair to Midland has the talent to back it up.

The album opens with the previously-mentioned “Dance of the Manatee”, a riff-heavy tune that comes off as the most mainstream of the tracks on this album. Despite the fact that it’s an awesome song on its lonesome, this is actually one of the weaker tracks in comparison to the rest of Fables. For instance, “Kyla Cries Cologne” follows “Dance” and puts it to shame with powerful guitar and percussion work.

One of the strengths of Fables is the variety that Fair to Midland is capable of displaying in their sound. Make no mistake, it’s all heavy, pounding rock, but the group’s able to mix the formula up enough that it never seems stale. “The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence” is a relatively light track that contrasts strongly with “A Seafarer’s Knot”, which starts hard and stays hard all the way through.

The highlight of the album, however, is “Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes”, which is slated to be the second single from Fables. From the haunting violin opening to the monstrous guitar riffs to the mesmerizing vocals, this track shows that Fair to Midland can stand its own with the best progressive rock bands today. Though it’s hard to call the rest of Fables “filler”, the majority of the album pales in comparison to “Tall Tales”, and that’s the only real issue with Fables as a whole.

All in all, Fair to Midland seem to have a strong grasp on what makes good rock music. Fans of heavy music are advised to pick up this album at their earliest convenience. They’re also advised to not think too hard about dancing manatees. It tends to lead to headaches.

Cory