Fairmont is a highly prolific indie band out of NJ. They soon will boast 2 full lengths and 4 Eps…all in under two years. This a prerelease/EP for the newest full length. They feature lead acoustic guitar, backup clean electric guitar, bass and drums. It’s a very fresh sounding mix, as we see here…
“Sometimes I’m Bitter” efficiently displays their acoustic-led melodic indie rock style. The vocal style is indescribable, and on some songs it works, and others it doesn’t. This is one where it works. Female backup vocals are a great touch, as they really make the song what it is: a rocking, pop influenced, catchy song. Introducing a higher, raw, and less focused vocal style is “True Love Waits”. This is one of the tracks where the vocals don’t work. The breakdown introduces a melodic percussion instrument, and shines as the best feature of this song. They twist the cliché very well. “Knock Me Out” features the acoustic sound most out of all these songs. All around, this is the best sounding song on the album, as the breakdown is satisfying, and the electric guitar work throughout is impressive. The vocals here are fantastic, and the backup vocals accompany perfectly. Every good emo band needs one, and “The Last Time…” is Fairmont’s classic breakup song. Midway through, it features a short but cool electric solo before lapsing into the lead riff, an electric melody with an acoustic fingerpicking. The vocals are medium here…not bad, but not great either. The lyrics have a nice tribute to SemiSonic in them, probably accidental, but I noticed it.
Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable CD. Everything was great except the vocals. They were good, but they didn’t work in some places, which lowered the overall experience. Still, a spectacular indie rock CD. 7.5 out of 10.