The Fatales - Great Surround

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4...according to our Brian on Thu 22 Oct, 2009.

The Fatales: I'm unsure of where these fellas hail from (I get the feeling they may be French Canadian?) but they've a studious, commercial leaning sound that hoovers up influences from windswept 80's AOR pop such as The Blue Nile taking in smooth, epic, contemporary Euro post-rock ala Jeniferever/Diefenbach and mild elements of broody early 80's new wave/"overcoat rock". They sound incredibly accomplished and are maybe already at the comfortable juncture where White Lies fantasize of being in 5 years time. It does start to resemble a tougher version of a-ha on a couple of tracks but their impressive banks of atmospheric synth and clean, rumbling bass keep it sounding reasonably strong & fresh. I actually love the chamber interval 'You're Not the Lunar Type' and they also enjoy fiddling around with some electronic glitch to get that Postal Service feel. 'Great Surround' is on Monopsone and is well worth a punt if you like yr indie mature, dramatic & melodic.

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Tracklisting

01. evergreen
02. islands of fortune
03. old painter
04. eveningwear
05. vanishing act
06. stadtpark
07. darkened country
08. violette
09. city en route
10. torches

Infos

Stadtpark was monopsone's first introduction to The Fatales. When we received a copy of the compilation "Je T'Aime" (Where Are My Records -Quebec, Canada), the track's poisonous beauty and homage to Twin Peaks and David Lynch's universe captured our attention. Courtship ensued, there are passionate and enthusiastic discussions beyond the Atlantic, the collaboration is progressing and the album is becoming clear.

Summer 2008 : the New Yorkers fly south to Athens, Georgia to record with Andy LeMaster (Bright Eyes, Pacific UV, Azure Ray) at Chase Park Transduction Studios. Their first album (after an self-produced mini-lp in 2004 - Pretty In Pixels) is here. Great Surround boasts soaring peaks on Evergreen and Vanishing Act, but also a sensitivity and a never denied reserve on tracks such as Torches and Violette.

Marked by the new-wave of the 80's, Great Surround shows that The Fatales have undeniable qualities to be successful dizzying vocal acrobatics and circling guitars, swift rhythms and humming bass guitar, emotion and irreverence, singles made for radio programmes and vibrant ballads, enlightened by discrete strings orchestration and sophisticated and spectral electronic arrangements.

Illustrated by a painting of the Flemish artist Valerius De Saedeleer (1876-1946) as a loving tribute from The Fatales for the Old Continent, Great Surround will be available in digifile throughout Europe on monopsone.

The Fatales : Craig Holland (drums, programmings, synthetizers), Wayne Switzer (song, guitar, keyboards), Ryan Vernon (bass guitar, programmings) and James Wu (keyboards, violin).