Fair to Midland- Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
You know, it’s hard to say anything bad about Fair to Midland. They’re obviously great musicians who can put out a polished album. An album, in fact, that was put out on Serj Tankian’s label. And an album that, in the ranks of major label debuts, places fairly high in terms of production and execution. Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True is slick, accessible, and goes down easy. Despite a few chugging riffs, it doesn’t exactly fall under metal, but neither does the nouveau-folksy bent classify it solidly as prog; it’s more along the lines of Coheed and Cambria (probably a common comparison, but an accurate one nonetheless; it’s due to the soaring vocals layered over driving guitars and generous attention to the ride cymbal)- a technical sound, to be sure, but nothing too complex. It’s heavy in places and has some exotic sounds, but isn’t too experimental.
That’s just the problem- it’s not too anything. It sort of exists in this middle ground of rock, where it’s above average but not exceptional. There’s nothing wrong about it, but there’s just nothing particularly right about it, either- aside from the album opener, “Dance of the Manatee”- an inspired and ambitious song that spares no technique in exhibiting Fair to Midland’s unquestionable ability- there’s nothing really compelling here. Nothing that makes a huge impression; nothing that sticks. You can put on this album and an hour later, not remember anything you heard- you know that you didn’t hate it; maybe you even tapped your foot or hummed along to it a few times. But did you hear anything you want to go back and hear again? Probably just “Dance of the Manatee.” If all the songs on Fables From a Mayfly were as impassioned as its promising opener, it’d be a killer album; as it is, it’s good but will never break Fair to Midland out. Fortunately, it does establish them as a band who have loads of potential, and whets the whistle for their next offering. Hopefully next time around, their songwriting will be on par with their technique, and the production will be hands-off enough to just let the talent shine through.
