The Faint ‎– Danse Macabre (2 CD)

The Faint have already fraternised with folk and even had a bash at Britpop - despite hailing from Omaha - and new wave. In their desperation to belong, the new bandwagon they have hitched a ride on is electroclash, the second-hand, confused style mirroring their own identity crisis perfectly.
The anything-goes atmosphere of Blitz, the infamous club that gave birth to the New Romantics, is what gets them really giddy. Spiky guitars claw at convoluted rhythms, but there is so much early Spandau Ballet, Soft Cell and Duran Duran on this album that it should come wrapped in a ruffle-fronted shirt with a black eyeliner peeking out of the sleeve. Synths are compressed, beats are cold and the energy is intoxicating. Todd Baechle's valiant stabs at meaningful vocals drown under an avalanche of effects and inane lyrics, but the music is fantastic. From the graceful cello struggling to retain its dignity among the decaying morality of Violent to the pop melody of Posed To Death that is just made to get limbs twitching, the Faint throw odd shapes deliciously.

Label: City Slang

Country: Germany

Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Play great but have some superficial marks