FACS - Wish Defense

 

Chicago trio FACS return with sixth studio album from Trouble In Mind on February 7th

FACS are unlike any band you would have heard of before. They remain an enigmatic threesome who have garnered a cult following since the release of Void Moments in March 2020, when the world took a turn.

That album was an insular one, and one whose lyrical content coupled with that throbbing basslines and persistent drums along with a vocal of insolence. Yet it is still able to connect due to the musicianship on display by Brian Case (vocals), Jonathan Van Herik (original returning member on bass) and Noah Leger on drums.

Case, the main writer, states that this album revolves around the idea of doppelgangers or doubles, in a sense FACS are holding a mirror up to themselves to make tackle yourself and what motivations lie ahead.

Second track 'Ordinary Voices' is one that is familiar in the FACS form; pulsating and unrelenting in its message, which is quickly followed by title track 'Wish Defense' which has this ear worm of a bass line at the outset, culminating in the shout 'I'm not here' on repeat as a chorus. It is not so much disillusionment they are trying to sell, they can see the listener and can relate.

 

Track four, 'A Room' is an archetypal wall of sound number, with Case's vocals merely being held up by the roaring sound being created.

While it may not reach the heights or lightning in the bottle of Void or the follow up Present Tense (2021), this nevertheless remains a supreme statement of art by a band who are firing on all cylinders. This sort of album gives you hope that when given a chance a band can still be heard.

At seven songs in length and thirty minutes in runtime, this is still a curated piece of production helmed by the late Steve Albini, in his last professional work.

Wish Defense is released from Trouble in Mind on February 7th

My thanks to them and OneBeat PR for the review opportunity.

Dead Man's Shoes - Marion Todd

 

Marion Todd returns with another instalment in the DI Clare Slater world

Having followed Todd's career - a second career as her life as a novelist started in later years - it has been a joy to see this writer grow as an author creating a world she is happily swimming in as the crime washes up on the nearby shores in St Andrews.

This most recent adventure follows the death of a young man found dead near a nightclub. The marks on his neck are indicative and a symbol of a serial killer in the North of England, labelled 'The Choker', a killer who targets gay men.

From that death, another death follows and on and on and with further attacks on men happening, Slater must again balance the extremes of work pressure with the crucial home-life balance with a fellow member of the Police force. 

It is always difficult to find new problems or obstacles for a character in a continuing series without it becoming old hat or sound like you are repeating yourself. In this edition, Todd gives Slater the difficulty of a back injury sustained in the line of duty meaning she becomes a passenger driven to crime scenes and has to slow down while trying to get the same results.

Written as ever with such enthusiasm and with a great ear for dialogue in the workplace, Todd again has written a winner of a crime read. 

Dead Man's Shoes is released on 9th January 2025 from Canelo Crime

My thanks to them for the pre-approval on NetGalley