Scientists, Alchemists, Physicists and other nerds rejoice! Nearly four years after the release of Wet From Birth The Faint is back to take us through another romp into the twisted world of indie dance-rock; and yes, Todd still sings like a robot.Fasciinatiion marks the sixth [eighth if you count the epic remix LPs] put out by the Nebraskan quintet and the first album to be self-released on their own label [blank.wav] after their split with Saddle Creek. It features more of the same robotic beats and strange lyrics and like every other release they have had since their creation it fails to bring anything particularly different or new to the table.
Immediately after starting the record you can hear that little has changed musically or content-wise with the band....which is a good thing. The opening track "Get Seduced" starts things off with some bizarre lyrics about the down-sides of celebrity and an awesome synth hook that seems to be the trademark of The Faint.
Continuing with the album, "The Geeks Were Right" and "Machine In The Ghost" provide some top-notch dance tunes, even though the lyrics are beyond geeky and the chorus from "Machine In The Ghost" does get just a tad annoying ["let's ask: -insert random title or thing-"].
"Fulcrum And Lever" sounds less like The Faint and more like a B-side off of an Atmosphere record that maybe never saw the light of day; you know, the one with the really weak beats. Although it does sound like Todd Fink is trying to rap here, the lyrics are entertaining enough to keep you interested in the song and the picture it is painting. One thing is for sure though, Fink is NO Slug and should stick to the singing.
Toward the end of the album it becomes a bit of a mixed bag featuring six tracks split down the middle, with a great song placed every other track. The tracks "Psycho", "I Treat You Wrong" and "Fish In A Womb" seem to fall by the wayside while "Mirror Error", "Forever Growing Centipedes" and "A Battle Hymn For Children" will have you hitting the replay button again and again.
As far as picking a best song "Mirror Error" definitely stands out as the best track on the album. From the second the feedback starts to fade and the beat begins to play on this catchy tune you can't help but feel the urge to dance. The bass tones put to the lyrics add an extra sense of eeriness to Todd's already haunting voice giving the song a much deeper sound then the other tracks. On that same note this song also features one of the best choruses on the record: a chorus featuring no words at all but only a long held out "ohhhhhh". Even though it lacks any catchy hook during it the chorus is hard not to sing along to.
Keeping with the same formula as Wet From Birth and Danse Macabre The Faint again shows that even kids from Omaha can create some of the most infectious dance music this side of the Prime Meridian. While there are still a few ho-hum songs on the album, it is not enough to take away from the solid tracks which are spread evenly throughout the record. Again, nothing new here but Fasciinatiion is an awesome disc for any fan of the band, and if you're anything like me you may find that your glasses are just thick enough to dance to and enjoy the Hell out of it.
Vocals - 8/10
Lyrics - 7/10
Creativity - 6/10
Replay Value - 7/10
Overall- 70%
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