Review: Faulkner - Pariahs
This past Friday, bi-coastal band Faulkner released their debut album, Pariahs. Consisting of 10 tracks, the debut album holds up pretty well. An added flair to this newest piece of work is who Faulkner collaborated with. Major rappers Royce Da 5’9” (Eminem) and RZA ( Wu-Tang Clan).
With the album kicking off with track “Revolutionary” the instant electric sound sets a grove for the album. The steady beat and emo-esque vocals, you’ll be quickly saying ‘ I’d start a revolution’. Track “Hot Streak” was the first single to be released off this record, and I surely do believe it was a great preview to the album as a whole. “NY Anthem” is where the record gets a little bit of a shuffle in a good way. Co-written, produced, and featuring RZA (Wu-Tang Clan) the single made airplay on major sports outlets, taking ESPN by storm and finding love at the NFL, U.S.Open, and N.Y. Yankees’ home games. Now, songs like “Halo Me” and “Street Axioms” is where it can get a bit rocky for listeners.
The semi drastic change in sound, while not bad, disrupts the flow of the record. “Waters Are A Rising” and “I’m Stoned” take the change in sound and run with it, making the record smooth out.”Keep Your Enemies Closer” which was co-written and features Royce Da 5’9” (Eminem) is heavily reminiscent of any commercial track straight out of the 80s. Though, it is a great addition to the record. “Hustle Everything” keeps the same flow as the previous track and blends in with the rest of the record. Wrapping up the record nicely with track “Molly”, all the different sounds of the record are revisited and built on. This is also the track that truly showcases the band's musical abilities.
All around, this is a strong debut album for the bi-coastal band and it’s great to know that even with such a great start there's only room to grow. FAULKNER’s debut album surely makes for a great start to 2018 ( well where we stand for February) for new albums and proves the music industry can move in the right direction. Want to check out the album? Peep at the links below.