Phoenix on the Fault Line

Our Take

Indiana based Phoenix On The Fault Line presents listeners with an interesting idea: What would happen if you added a horn and percussion section into a traditional melodic rock band? This is exactly what the group has done on their debut album, Goodbye On Monday, where they have attempted to integrate horns and percussion into a number of different rock compositions. And while there are some moments where things get a little shaky, Phoenix On The Fault Line is ultimately off to a good start and looks to have plenty of room for growth.

The instrumentalists of this band could have easily just attempted to throw in horns in with traditional melodic rock and follow this formula for the entire album, but instead they decided to pull from a different variety of styles from within the rock genre. This gives Phoenix On The Fault Line a bit of an advantage right from the start, but deciding to include a prominent horn section has also made them even more unique. But unfortunately, while there are moments on this album where the combination of guitar, bass, drums, and horns work together to create really atmospheric and interesting arrangements there are also songs where the two elements don’t feel to fit together seamlessly. It doesn’t make the album unmistakable, but I suspect that as the band continues to move forward they will improve as song writers and compose tracks that seamlessly move from one element to the next while continuing to make the horn section prominent.



Although Phoenix On The Fault Line utilizes so many different instrumentalists, they only have one main vocalist. However, despite this lead singer Tony Ferrera does a great job of matching up to the level of energy and intensity offered by the instrumentals. In bands like this it is sometimes possible that a vocalist can get overshadowed by the rest of the group, but this never happens throughout the course of Goodye On Monday. Ferrera’s melodic voice always manages to carry the music along, and while at times his pitch seems as though it is a little bit off listeners will find that he fits in perfectly with the varied instrumentals.



Phoenix On The Fault Line is still a little rough around the edges, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t check them out. The band’s mixture of a horn section and melodic/hard rock feels unique within a world of similar sounding artists, even if the horns don’t feel as though they have been seamlessly integrated on some of the songs. Goodbye On Monday is ultimately an enjoyable album rather than an amazing one, and if these guys can bring out the horns even more and make it all fit together than I have a feeling that their next release will really be groundbreaking.



http://www.myspace.com/phoenixonthefaultline

Chris Dahlberg

April 09, 2009

http://www.cosmosgaming.com/articles.php?id=1950&articletype=review
- Cosmos Gaming

Published on March 29, 2009.




Variety can really make or break a band.

Whether
it is played out in sounds, songs, vocal stylings or multitalented
members, every little bit to set a band apart from the pack saves them.

Indiana-based
Phoenix on the Fault Line has one element of variety on their side, and
that is the sheer amount of instruments and people the band keeps
around to mix things up.

As
an eight-piece band that includes all the standards, Phoenix on the
Fault Line manages to throw in some refreshing twists to your typical
newly formed band with additions such as saxophone, trombone and an
auxiliary percussionist.

While
variety inside of the group may count among its positive qualities,
setting itself apart from the rest of the music world is not a strong
point of Phoenix on the Fault Line. Its music definitely sounds as
though it is staying close to the outline for a typical indie-pop-rock
group, which seems to work for them.

Using
a variety of instruments also gives the band the ability to go more
smoothly from faster to slower beats within the songs, allowing the
album to be more cohesive and flow comfortably from song to song.

Their
debut album, “Goodbye on Monday,” spans from faster, more pop-rock
songs that would make for a mosh-pit-meets-dance-party feel to
relatively slower tunes that put lead singer Tony Ferrera’s pipes to
good use.

Ferrera
clearly has a voice that is not just appropriate for this type of
music, but would be more than adequate for even more melody-driven and
instrumentally lighter songs, as he demonstrates on the track “When It
Rains.”

As touched on
before, the two-man horn section adds an interesting sound to the
otherwise standard group, but unfortunately is sometimes muffled due to
the strength of the other instruments.

While
knowing a band cannot survive on horns alone, once I know they’re
there, I want to be able to hear them more. It’s like when you know the
singer has a good voice, yet the band only allows you to hear guitar.
You want to uncover the gems.

This
wasn’t always the case, however, with many of the songs, especially the
album’s title track, “Goodbye on Monday.” The band is able to use
excellent layering of both instruments and vocals, finding a harmonious
blend between too loud, too soft and too much.

I
know I sound like a broken record, but while this isn’t particularly my
favorite type of music, I really think the execution of the album was
well done and Phoenix on the Fault Line is clearly enjoying playing its
music. The band sounds clean and put together and is able to keep
stronger pop-esque melodies in a more instrumental-based band, which is
key to indie-pop rock.

Although
the band is keeping close to the structure of the genre on the whole,
it works for them to have something with which to base their sound off.

After all, the standard is the standard for a reason, since it clearly has worked for others before them.

by
Cole Bertsos


http://www.lansinglowdown.com/index.php/article/2009/03/8-piece_band_makes_typical_indie-pop_rock - Lansing Low Down

"The opening song Goodbye on Monday is built on catchy riffs... if you are a fan of rock that throws in unique ideas you might want to give this band a shot." - Unbound Zine online

It might be hard to wrap your ears around an eight-piece indie band at first, but rather than complain you should look at it as something fresh and new. Built on an alternative rock foundation with stout guitars and pronounced vocals, Good-bye On Monday is a multi-layered structure that makes use of horns, varied percussion melodies, and some clever riffing. Most people equate horns with ska, however, you wont find any skank beats on this album. Instead POTFL sticks to a rock ethos that would inspire head bobs and maybe a few raised glasses at the end of each song. I'll admit it takes a few spins to take it all in, but, when everything clicks, it's definitely worth it.

For fans of: Foxy Shazam, Gogol Bordello, Zox, MC5, Roxy Music - Evil Needles