Genre Tags: Post-Punk, Dance-Punk, Indie Rock, Power-Pop Punk
RIYL: Parquet Courts, Culture Abuse, Yard Act, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, Cloud Nothings
Picture this: headphones on, fanny pack secured, fluffy sidekick in tow, and your favorite hiking trail in front of you. You navigate through your phone and open an album by a band new to your ears, the excitement of a musical introduction puts a smile on your face. You press play, take a step, and embark on what becomes one of the most enjoyable strolls of your life. The stage is set for my first listen through the debut LP from Montreal’s Fake Friends. Let’s Not Overthink This is an 11-track exploration of overconfidence and connections built on the influences of post-punk and indie pop. With a roster that has cycled through a few iterations, founders Matthew Savage (vocals/cult leader) and Luca Santilli (guitar/rock god) have found comfort in their current lineup: Michael Kamps (bass/aura farmer), Felix Crawford-Legault (guitar/golden clown composer), Bradley Cooper-Graham (keys/disney adult) and Michael Tomizzi (drums/gambling savant). (The all too charming descriptions were borrowed from the band’s official bio and were much too fabulous not to include.) These seemingly ‘good friends’ are using their talents for the better and exploring their sound while crafting tunes that make you want to dance.
The album begins with a punchy track called “Ministry of Peace.” With the title being a nod to Orwell’s 1984, the lyrics seem to explore similar themes of irony, nihilism, and the dangers of propaganda consumption. It embraces the core values of rock and roll through thought-provoking lyrics, loud guitars, and a walking beat. Next up are the sequential singles, “Sucker Born Every Minute” and “The Way She Goes.” Both songs have a sense of musical familiarity; the rhythmic relationships between each element are immediately recognizable to the listener as groovy and danceable. These upbeat anthemic tracks are followed by the more melodic “Control.” At this point in the album, I’ve begun to notice a theme in the compositional format where different elements form a call and response with each other from where they sit in the mix. This particular song utilizes that idea to create a dreamlike soundscape where the instrumental elements are holding an introspective conversation. Reaching the halfway point, with the addition of the quirky “Five Star Review,” that self-reflection turns into an extrospective conversation of the sarcastically vulnerable qualities that make up Fake Friends. With contributions from close friends, this track really expresses the band’s belief that music is a community-based art form.
The next few songs of the track listing really highlight the band’s willingness to explore their depth. “Living The Dream” and “Backstreet’s Back Pt. 2” both hold that gritty sort of early 80s post punk sound reminiscent of bands like Bauhaus mixed with classic Depeche Mode vocal tradition. The moodier nature creates a united disconnect with everything we’ve heard so far, almost like taking the same musical bits and tweaking them to create an additional perspective to the album’s framework. With “Hyperconnection,” we make a transition to yet another phase of what Fake Friends has to offer. This was my favorite song of the whole album. If you saw me dancing around Griffith Park, you absolutely did! The rhythmic relationships between instruments and the lyrical cleverness created a collective balance for the enjoyment of the punk kids, the indie kids, and just about everyone in between!
Another piece of the puzzle is revealed through “If It Happens” and “Dance On My Grave.” The themes of self-doubt and self-awareness are woven throughout the lyrics. The former seems more somber in composition, the thought-provoking quality is carried through on the back of a tasteful bassline and a crisp drumline. While the latter creates an almost melancholic metaphor between the lyrical themes and the danceable beat. The album wraps up with the emotionally well-rounded ballad, “Good Friends.” Featuring not only vocals from the 6-piece themselves, but a few of the album’s additional collaborators, it feels like a perfect resolution to the journey through the fellowship that created Let’s Not Overthink This.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this album and discovering a new band (one of my favourite pastimes). I cannot wait to see what is in store for them in the future, but for now, be sure to check out Let’s Not Overthink This out on February 13 via Stomp Records!