Foundation begins with She Hides Away, a track that touches upon progressive rock, alternative, and harder forms of music. The production is such that the dfferent elements of the tracks – guitars, drums, and vocals – are able to shine on their own as well as contribute to a very cohesive sort of opening. Awake begins with a very spacy / fuzzy guitar and shuffling drum beat before Faraday’s Zevon meets Thom Yorke vocals kick in to great effect. The track feels full and fleshed out with the inclusion of a ropy, emotive bass line playing at the periphery. Smart deviations from traditional time signatures make sure that listeners will be on the edges of their seats, giving te album high momentum.
Tonight, Tonight builds off of the work of Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots, having a laid-back and dirty rock sound as Faraday’s vocals provide considerable narrative content. Feel as You Feel is my favorite cut on the album as the instrumental and vocal sides of Faraday are able to work as equals, each pushing the other into a fertile new direction. The guitar solo that graces the track contains considerable storytelling power, giving the second half of Foundation a substantial boost. The album ends with New Day, a track that pulls double duty – it is able to both act as a microcosm of the styles and approaches that Faraday takes on through Foundation as well as giving listeners some semblance of where he may go on subsequent releases.
Make sure to check out Faraday’s domain for more information about Foundation, the latest news, and links to Faraday’s social media accounts. Visit his CDBaby profile at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/leonardfaraday to purchase the album.
Top Tracks: She Hides Away, Feel as You Feel
Rating: 9.0/10
Leonard Faraday Foundation CD Review / 2014 Self / 8 Tracks / http://leonardfaraday.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/leonard.faraday.37