Eclectic, hectic and busy.
It wont surprise you to hear from time to time us journalists end up at cross-purposes with PR people. The usual complaint is that we don't really listen or we don't understand their acts enough or we never give them enough deference, which you know, is fine, the PR people are doing their job and the journalists do theirs. Theres never really that many things to question from the PR side but you get occasions when you look at the press release and question if you have the right sheet for the band you are listening to.
Flicking through the blurb, O Fracas were being made out to the be a band with more genres than HMV and Virgin combined and it really raised the bar for the record. Perhaps because of this, the 4 track cd has been getting a lot of airtime the past week and its pretty decent but its still hard to square up with what was being promised.
The ringing guitar sound on 'Factfinding' borrows a lot from Prince but at its heart, is the beating riff of a 1980s New-Wave hit. The lead track has more angles than a protractor and with the current trend for all things retro, if this leaks onto the airwaves, it could do some damage. The vocals have that lazy and almost un-interested style to them that draws the kids in and the song kicks up with a sharp little chorus. Yeah, its pretty good and it will hopefully serve as inspiration for the youth of today to go out and find facts rather than relying on half-truths and disputed proclamations.
'And So A Scratch Run Down The Wall' follows on and does in a very similar manner, its not upbeat or chirpy but there is a ringing guitar and another chorus that picks up pace and momentum to propel itself to the end.
The remix of 'Scratched Wall' has a hip-hop section, all the while railing over scatter-gun beats that wouldn't be out of place on a Linkin Park record, which indicates that there is a hell of a lot going on here but it just wasn't what we were led to believe.
Which is no bad thing, don't believe anything anyone tells you and, as O Fracas would no doubt tell you anyway, go and find the facts by yourself.