Album Review - Faltered - Fortune Favours

After a first listen to Fortune Favours by North Wales natives, and brothers Connor and Dan Cahalane, I didn't review it straight away. You know how it is, one album comes in, then another, then a couple of singles, then the kids are ill, lol. Well now seems like the perfect time to review the long awaited debut from Faltered. 

If you've never listened to the guys before, what you have to remember is that there are only Connor and Dan recording everything. Whilst Dan takes on all the guitar duties, Conner pulls double duty as both drummer and bassist. However, the shortcomings in band members are in no way reflected in the music. What you have, is a great fuzzy mix of great guitar riffs from Dan, with some pounding drums, and some great, sometimes soulfully soft, sometimes metal screamo vocals from Connor, Please Don't Take This The Wrong Way being a great example of the smooth tones Connor has. Where the second and title track, Fortune Favours, shows aspects of the heavier side of the bands music. With the chorus being a heady mix of heavy fuzzy guitars and screamo vocals. 

The boys have been criticised lately for being out of time on some recordings and vocals being out of tune, well to this I simply say, in the immortal words, so fucking what!! The vocals may not be perfect, but they're certainly not out of tune! however, this all adds to Faltered's sound. After all, who wants to hear the same manufactured crap record after record!!? I'd far rather listen to a band who have a sound of their own!! 

This album has been on the cards for some time now, and as I mentioned, with the 2 Cahalane brothers being responsible for all instruments and vocals, they should be proud of the work they have produced. I for one was not disappointed!

Music Reviews - What's The Point

Ok, some of you may have seen the post on my personal Facebook page the other day about music reviews and the necessity to reviewers find to insult bands from a personal point of view, instead of constructively criticising the music, after all, lets face it, everyone needs some constructive criticism now and then. But when a reviewer uses their position to do nothing other than slaughter a band and where they come from, that's bullshit!

The reason I do reviews is twofold. Firstly it's my blog and I'll do what I like, lol. Just kidding, I review music because I bloody enjoy it, it's been a long time since I've done any form of writing, so to do something I enjoy about something I have a huge interest in, it's a big winner on my part. Secondly, it's to get some brilliant music out to an even wider audience. I'd like to think that I've had a little influence on encouraging people to listen music they wouldn't necessarily have listened to. I've never had any negative feedback about any of the reviews I've done, and I'd like to think that if I'd either upset or offended any of the bands I've reviewed, they'd tell me :) The purpose of reviewing is to cast my opinion on the music that is sent to me, not to bash the bands. Now some people might think it weird that, if you read my reviews, I always say how good everything is. Now, sure people could say I'm just being nice, but what would be the point in that? Why would I say something is great if it isn't? I've listened to some albums that haven't been my cup of tea, and I've said it, but that doesn't make them bad albums! Just because an album might not be to your taste, doesn't give you the right to slag it off!!

I will remain to be honest with the reviews I do. It would seem as though there are reviewers out there who don't believe in that philosophy, which is a big shame.