The Faith Ann Band made its way from Manchester, New Hampshire to venues throughout New England. After making a name for itself, the Faith Ann lead combo went into a studio for the second time since their Monster In Me debut recording to document the sound that provided their success and visibility on the scene. In Bloom, comprised of straightforward rockers, moves quickly through eight tracks because they are brisk, no frills, action packed numbers.
Opening track “Tree Time” finds Faith Ann using her haunted girlish timbre to augment her pendulum swing chords. She makes her ax seesaw between two eerie possibilities. Beneath that there is just enough Alfredo Benavides bass rumble and just enough flow of Alexander Hurshman drum fills to make this tune ripple with hypnotic focus. The power of this song is more in its tones than in its structure. It also swaggers in a weird but good way into the listener’s consciousness.
“Jungle Law” swings right into action with a drum smack and a startlingly blunt vocal. From there, Faith Ann belts assertively, an endless stream of energy. Her street girl aggression finds a meaningful home among basic punk rock drive. A lead guitar phrase eventually makes it presence felt among a jungle thick driven groove. This band certainly creates a strong sense of action, energy crackling throughout, as it makes one picture a rumble of street fighters, or, any action scene, really.
Offering a more involved sound, “One Night” feels a bit lighter in tone with slightly less aggression. Yet, it’s uptempo drive keeps it just as fun as the first two songs while sounding prettier in the vocal department. Its simple chorus gives it a rock and roll anthem vibe and each instrument remains in a gripping action mode.
“Sipping On Flowers” could be this band’s idea of a slow dance number. Aside from its sweet title, The Faith Ann Band keep it in a downtempo circular mode. It is a song that does not inspire movement as much as it inspires one to contemplate what is going on in one’s immediate space. It has an alluring guitar part, emotive and tender in its moody dwell, and it hovers perfectly in the space between the haunted, forlorn vocal and the nicely understated rhythm section.
“Songbird” lets Faith Ann showcase her ability to sound more like a torch singer. Her raw, raspy vocal, loaded with soul, lays out a lot of power, a fierceness just beneath the surface. A punchy accompaniment beneath her makes a secondary impact and Nick Burn’s piercing lead guitar phrase tears its way in with serious purpose.
The amusingly titled “Miller Time” is a rollicking joy ride. Faith Ann sings it with a restless energy. The other three kick out a basic, romping groove and a brief but edgy lead guitar phrase. “Reaper” packs a lot of brief guitar notes into each meter, enough to make one think of a bag packed with treats. The rhythm section put enough speedy drum fills and quick bass bits to keep this piece in a cool tumbling motion. Its lead guitar gives it a shiny top while Faith Ann gives it an appealing angst-tone. She has a lot to get off her chest in this song and she’s singing to beat the devil to her soul.
Close out track “Death Mask” features more of Nick Burn’s assertive lead guitar. His tone and skill make it sound like its crying out, a tortured soul finding an expression in music. Faith Ann’s dire vocal tone gives this as much energy as its aggressive musicianship. This one suggests high drama, life or death circumstances, and it satisfies the listener with its combination of these elements.
The Faith Ann Band offer a fine calling card with this eight song In Bloom album, an assortment that shows what they can do with tones, mood, and vibe as well as with solid songcraft, fierce playing, and a multi faceted lead singer.
