ALBUM REVIEW: State of Mind – The Faim
Having been a part of multiple tours with the likes of AGAINST THE CURRENT and STAND ATLANTIC, and embarking on a headline world tour at the end of last year, THE FAIM have generated a lot of buzz in a relatively short amount of time. With an impressive catalogue of catchy, electro-pop tinged songs, THE FAIM quickly garnered an ardent fanbase that spans across the globe and set themselves up as one of the most exciting emerging acts around. Following hot on the heels of their excellent, hook-laden EP Summer Is A Curse comes their much-anticipated debut album State of Mind – an album which seeks to further progress the band up the ladder to the top.
Right off the bat, the production on the album hits you like a truck: crisp, crystal clear, and goes hand-in-hand with the band’s songwriting to further accentuate and elevate the material to the next level. All it takes is one listen to the opening two tracks Tongue Tied and Human and you can vividly picture them ringing out around a packed arena show. This air of anthemic arena-pop is an atmosphere that is maintained throughout the entirety of State of Mind and it’s so well executed that it’s hard to imagine a future where THE FAIM won’t reach that level of popularity – their music is practically made for arenas.
The only song from the Summer Is A Curse EP to make it onto the new album is the EP’s titular track. While not overtly sticking out amongst the rest of the tracks, stylistically the song has a completely different feel to the rest of State of Mind. While Summer Is A Curse is still a great track, THE FAIM have developed and matured so much since the release of their debut EP that the song falls a little short of the quality of the rest of the album – this is more a testament to the rapid development the band have experienced and the sheer quality of their new material, rather than a negative statement about the track itself, as within the context of the band’s EP the track still holds up.
Unlike most debut albums that serve to build off the stylistic intent set out by a band’s earlier material, State of Mind comes as more of a massive step forward in terms of both songwriting and the overall tone of the band’s material. From start-to-finish the album is consistent, catchy, and as we’ve come to expect from THE FAIM; positively dripping in cool. Both in terms of quality and style, the album feels a lot closer to juggernauts of the genre such as PANIC! AT THE DISCO or post-hiatus FALL OUT BOY: ultra-modern, catchy, and packed with undeniable mass appeal.
State of Mind doesn’t feel like a debut album, it feels like the start of a new chapter for THE FAIM. The band’s impressive evolution in the short time between the Summer is a Curse EP and State of Mind is indicative of a band confidently making steps towards the top of the mountain. Just when you think the band have their sound absolutely nailed, THE FAIM seem to raise the bar even further and produce something more focused and refined than the last. There is absolutely no doubt that THE FAIM are setting themselves up for an incredibly long and fruitful career, and if State of Mind is any indication of things to come, we could quite well be looking at the next big crossover artist.
Rating: 8/10
State of Mind is out now via BMG.
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