General Fiasco: Buildings (Album)
by Lauren John. Published March 14, 2010.
Hot on the heels of infectious single, ‘Ever So Shy’ is the debut album from General Fiasco, which promises ‘a 36 minute explosion of guitar led cracking tunes’. I found myself drawn to the album artwork, and interesting song titles before anything else, but eventually it was time to listen to the CD, and see if the music lived up to its bold claims.
‘Buildings’ certainly ticks the box for being guitar led, though there are a lot of rhythmic drum arrangements, and for variety, piano, strings, and acoustic guitar make an appearance in the mix as well. The CD starts off with the bands singles ‘We Are The Foolish’, and ‘Ever So Shy’, both of which I have enjoyed reviewing for the site previously. They both have a mature sound, urgent, fuzzy guitar riffs, and a danceable quality to them, but what about the new songs I’ve not heard yet?
Some of the remaining tracks veer towards the heavier side of rock, and have a hint of metal influences in them, such as the song ‘Please Take Your Time’. In contrast there are other songs that continue in the more indie/pop vein, or have a slower tempo. One of the slower songs is the title track, ‘Buildings’ a ballad with a hint of old school, Bon Jovi style rock. It’s also surprisingly emotive, and atmospheric, and provided one of the highlights on the album. Other high points include the lyrical arrangement on ‘Dancing With Girls’, the well mixed/produced ‘First Impressions’, and finally ‘I’m Not Made Of Eyes’. Although this is more of a ‘grower’ than an immediate highlight, it has some nice piano parts, catchy drums in the chorus, and an interesting lyrical angle as well.
Along with the highlights, I do think the band overused their effects pedals at times, and I wasn’t over keen on the shouty intrusion on the mainly soft track ‘Rebel Get By’. Apart from that, and the fact that a few melodies sounded a bit too similar, it was a well produced, interesting release that I think will follow on well from their singles.
‘Buildings’ is released on 22nd March 2010, for more information visit.
