Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
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The Faim have been extra busy this year. Not content with releasing their first singles and embarking on their debut tours (tours which have taken this Perth export to the other side of the world and back), their debut EP Summer is a Curse is out this month. The titular track has topped a couple of Spotify charts already since its release in May, and hopefully they’ll have similar success with this juicy record of six fresh-off-the-press tracks. With help from the likes of Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), and Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds of Summer), there’s no doubt in the quality of The Faim’s production and recording. But they’d still be nothing without the individuality and skill of the band members themselves.
Of course, the eponymous “Summer is a Curse” kicks things into gear with a summer anthem that manages to bottle bright, warm energy of the season, but slams in some of the most pessimistic pop-punk “get me out of this town” vibes in the lyrics. I’m still not sure if those “dark days and a deeper cold” are paradoxical against the usual trend for summer days, or if Australia experiences seasons differently to us in the Northern Hemisphere.
Brand spanking new single “A Million Stars” might sound like the most scatterbrained song, because in reality how many times can someone be distracted by the night sky. But the sentiment behind it – to enjoy even the most menial of things in life – is quite uplifting. There’s a touch of Twenty One Pilots in this pop rock song’s breakdown which works out pretty well for them, and its dreamy harmonies make it the obvious contender for this EP’s second single.
Every record has to have one “Let Me Just Stare Out Of The Window At The Rain For A Second” song. For The Faim, it’s “Make Believe.” This mid-season downer does sound a little bit like they’ve thrown some darts at a board of sad words (“All we are is guilty hearts in a sea of memories”? I mean, come on.) But, either way, this veteran emo was very much on board with this track.
Of all the unheard tracks, “I Can Feel You” was one of the most memorable from their live set at Download Festival this year. The chorus had enough “woahs” in it for everyone to get involved with regardless of their lyric knowledge. Any 5 Seconds of Summer influences The Faim have picked up from their Aussie roots shines forth in this one; it’s some punk’d up pop for sure.
Nothing about “My Heart Needs To Breathe” should work, but you can count on me to be looping this one once this EP drops. It’s about as edgy as this outfit can get, with a weird techno riffy chorus set to, weirdly enough, a backdrop of gospel choir. It might be a mess of a song, but I can’t help but to deem it my favourite off Summer is a Curse.
As all good things must come to an end, so must this EP with the finale “When It Comes.” Josh Raven’s vocals are the star of this track, standing out against a minimalist drumbeat and soft instrumental.
The diversity of Summer is a Curse may mean that you have your definite favourites and your maybe-skippable songs. But I think there isn’t a bad one in this bunch, and your most played will certainly switch up depending on your mood. If this is what they can do on a six track EP, it should be pretty damn exciting to see what The Faim has in store for a full length.
Listen to their latest single “A Million Stars” below:
Make sure you check out the full EP when it’s released September 7th. Pre-save it right now!
Keep up with The Faim on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Spotify | Official Site
