Major sees Fang Island take dynamic steps in progressing their sound

In the world of video games, there is such a thing as a tech demo. It's not meant to be a full representation of your project; rather, its primary purpose is to give the public an early glance at what you're working on. It might demonstrate the technical specifications of your engine or perhaps elucidate a few gameplay mechanics.

In the same sense, Fang Island's self titled debut felt much like a tech demo. It gave a good sense of what the band is about and what they're capable of, but it felt incomplete. Although admittedly packed with energy, Fang Island was little more than a collection of riffs and solos packaged together with patchwork vocals sprinkled over top. It was basically a rough prototype, but that has changed with the band's second album, Major. 

The sound is beefier, more complex, and fully realized. One key change is that the vocals are a much more common occurrence on Major. Secondly, group frontman Jason Bartell now sings mostly solo, generally eschewing the group vocal arrangements that dominated their first album. The result is that Major feels like a more serious effort in terms of writing and composition.

The opener, "Kindergarten," brilliantly showcases the expansion in Fang Island's sound. It starts with something new: a catchy but quirky piano piece that's slightly reminiscent of Vampire Weekend. But it isn't long before the opening guitar feedback kicks in, producing a riff that is unmistakably Fang Island. That leads into Bartell's first solo spot.

His voice is plaintive, but not unsure or lacking confidence. And this time, it's piano and not guitar that provides the backing for his voice. The track ends itself on a familiar note, however, with the chorus of singers joining in behind Bartell, while the lead-in guitar riff returns to close out the track. It's a brilliant merging of old and new concepts, and certainly an ambitious statement for the band.

So much so, that the following tracks come very close to sounding ordinary by comparison. It almost sounds like they're returning to business as usual after that opening bombast. Fortunately, Major is spared from that fate by Bartell's vocal performance. He's a solid, though not spectacular, vocalist, whose presence provides much needed hooks and a sense of melody to Fang Island's sound.

Otherwise, the band's commitment to transmitting a sense of jubilation remains intact. The driving, feel good riffs of "Seek It Out" encapsulate everything the band has ever stood for. "Never Understand" meanwhile, consists mainly of the lyrics "I hope I never understand" repeated continuously, while backed by some positively joyous Dinosaur Jr. inspired riffs. Its youthful, bright eyed resistance toward entering the adult world expresses the type of sentiment usually reserved for Never-Never Land.

Though if the band is committed to never growing up, there are at least a few more hints that their sound is. "Asunder" is their most ambitious, biting, and self assured rock song to date. It features a momentous undercurrent bubbling beneath the surface, which then explodes into Fang Island's best and slickest guitar solo. It plays perfectly off the main riffs, while demonstrating fantastic technical superiority.

Also of note is "Victorinian," the band's first piano ballad, on which Bartell pleads for you to stay true to your values. That might not be a bad piece of advice for the band to take. Major's experimental moments work very well; the key issue is that they tend to stray away from them too often.

The problem with the self titled was that it was too hard to take seriously; far too often it sounded like a bunch of excessive guitar noodling. Major introduces several new elements that kickstarts the band's progression, but too often it feels as though the guys stray from that pattern and begin to fall into old habits. Many tracks feel like they could have come straight from from Fang Island if not for the more comprehensive vocal arrangements. Ultimately Major is the sound of a band making major strides, but who haven't yet done quite enough to push themselves over the top.

Score: 84/100

Fang Island takes a bite out of Music City

I promise that's the last lame pun I make about this band.

At any rate, Nashville music lovers were in for a treat Sunday night at The End, where Fang Island played with Delicate Steve. They were joined by Nashville natives Bad Cop and Sleeper Agent, from Bowling Green, KY.

To get straight to the point, Fang Island tore it up. All of the bands were great, honestly. Fang Island is known for the incredible amount of energy they bring to a show, and that energy easily transferred to everybody in attendance. Guys were playing air guitar in the crowd and everyone was just generally having a great time.

Fang Island's Jason Bartell leads the charge.

I definitely recall hearing "Careful Crossers" and "Life Coach," which were two of the many highlights that night.

There was one nagging question I had about Fang Island after listening to their album, which was - are there any actual keyboards in their music, or is it all strictly guitar?

It turns out there actually are keyboards, which was my sneaking suspicion in the first place. The band had a keyboard set up along with an additional smaller synthesizer.

I'd also like to retract something I said about the band in the album review, pertaining to the vocals. I was somewhat critical of the execution and arrangement of the vocals on the album, but I have to say that the whole group vocals thing works much better live.

What I liked is that it offers a nice change of pace after lengthy instrumental passages. I do, however, think you need to experience their vocal style live before you can truly appreciate it.

Nicolas Andrew Sadler of Fang Island just destroys all.

The band also played a new song, which featured guitarist Jason Bartell taking the lead on vocals alone for the most part.

Could this be a sign that maybe the band is going to start spotlighting individual vocalists more often in the future?

Delicate Steve plays instrumental rock music that bears many similarities to Fang Island. Guitarist Steve Marion serves as their driving force. They rock hard but also have some pretty, quiet moments that you don't see much from Fang Island.

Drummer Mike Duncan had an interesting setup. His kit combined toms from an actual drum set with electronic drum pads, and he had cowbells attached to the side. It helped lend the band's music a unique flavor.

Mike Duncan lays down the beats for Delicate Steve.

The first two bands of the night played solid, upbeat rock music. Bad Cop got an impressive performance from Mikey Metal on guitar and Hardcore Frazier on drums, but their frontman, Adam Anyone, stole the show with his energetic showmanship.

What antics will Adam Anyone pull? Anyone's guess.

He jumped into the crowd several times, lit a fan's cigarette for him, and even threw a beer can across the room. A few drops soaked into my hair and jacket.

Sleeper Agent also impressed. They had a female vocalist, known only as Kidd, who shared the spotlight with guitarist/vocalist Tutone.

They created some interesting dynamics with the way the vocal arrangements wrapped around the instrumental backing and got the crowd buzzing early on with their lively performance.

The small size of the venue allowed you to get up close and personal with the bands, which led to a neat atmosphere. Overall, it was an evening well spent and I'm glad I made the trip.

Sleeper Agent wakes up the crowd.

.

Fang Island bares teeth with energetic rock anthems

Genre: Indie/Rock
Sargent House
Running Time: 31:27

One of the great things about music is its ability to express emotion.

Many of us love to absorb the beauty that a cold, dissonant Radiohead album can provide, or take in the sonic dreariness of Deerhunter, but let's not forget the other end of the spectrum.

What about the days when the sun is shining, the air is crackling, and everything is right with the world? With their self-titled debut album, Fang Island has crafted music to get you pumped up. Fang Island can serve as your soundtrack to kicking down doors, eating cold ice cream on a summer day, and just generally being awesome.

The triple guitar assualt of Jason Bartell, Chris Georges, and Nicholas Andrew Sadler churn out a sublimely energtic brand of indie rock designed to get your fist pumping and your foot stomping.

The opening track, "Dream of Dreams," is more of an intro, but it does a good job of introducing what the band is about. The guitars sound more like keyboards sometimes, which provides the group with another layer of depth. (For that matter, I'm not entirely convinced there aren't actual keyboards lurking somewhere in the mix).

The following track, "Careful Crossers," however, is what really introduces what the band is all about. The vitriolic guitar playing exudes a sense of energy and good times. Drummer Marc St. Sauveur tears it up on the entire album, but he just goes nuts on this song.

Fang Island prove they're very proficient in constructing great riffs, as "Life Coach" and "Welcome Wagon" demonstrate. Elsewhere, "Treeton" has a nice bouncy aesthetic, but the album's real standout is "Sideswiper."

The song starts out with a yet another distinctive riff before settling into a energetic rock awesomeness. What really makes the track is the awesome guitar lead near the end of the song.

It starts off with super fast tremolo strumming, then carries the song to its power packed conclusion. It sounds like a Radiohead guitar lead, with the tremolo strumming reminding me particularly of Creep. A buzzing bass line delivered by Michael Jacober propels things forward, along with more great drumming.

"Davey Crockett" is an interesting diversion from the band's formula. It starts off slow paced and stays that way for the most part, while still building a sense of energy from the synth-like guitar lines.

I'm not a big fan of the band's vocal style. They're mostly group shout-alongs with an emphasis on chanting. Most of the lyrics are nothing really special either. Granted, vocals aren't what this band is about, but they should really look into doing something about those vocal arrangements.

It's very refreshing to hear a band from the indie scene who places focus on instrumentation, particularly on the drums, and Fang Island has managed to do just that. Having three guitars allows the band to create multiple layers to their music, as the ending to "Sideswiper" displays so nicely.

Sometimes I found my attention fading in and out a little bit. The progressive elements of the music do cause the band to drift a little bit a times. But they mix it up enough to keep things interesting, and Fang Island comes off as the perfect album for anybody just looking to have a good time.

Score: 81/100