Faces of Sarah

Buy This CD at Darkcell Digital Music

Faces of Sarah
TwentyFour
~reviewed by Jezabel

Faces of Sarah’s first fullalbum, Twentyfour, give those who love guitar based gothic music areason to hold onto hope. Not another aping of the sound of Mission or Sisters,this is the evolution.

Formed in the summer of1998, they quickly made a splash onto the London gothic music scene. Theirfirst ep, “belief ep” made the rounds and through it the band’s name and musicbegan to claim global attention. Club play followed and since, the band hasbeen busy with successful and numerous shows in London and throughout England.

But it is now, with theirfirst full-length cd that FoS has established themselves as a true, on thebooks band.

It’s the strong, guttural,belting vocals of Nick Schultz that are showcased in the cd’s first offering,All That is Divine, but is not the end of his mastery of voice or of a tune.Reminiscent of Eddie Vetter in terms of strength and manipulation of a lyricand tune nowhere is it heard better than on Fatalistic Warning where his voicewaves and wafts through, invoking an amazing and powerful atmosphere.

The gritty and yet melodicguitars throughout the album of Alan Tampion and John Currie show that there isstill more to discover within the genre of guitar gothic rock. Throughout thealbum, their strong and powerful guitar sound pushes the music to new andinteresting places, challenging the listener to compare them to their obviousinfluences. And in most cases, the listener feels rewarded for the challenge.This is no copycat band.

Frank Walters on bass andDavid Lockwood on drums round out the band bringing them a full sound lost intoday’s world of techno.

The highlight of the albumis “Baby One More Time” a cover of the Britney Spears hit. If only Britneycould find the irony, the black comedy, within the lyrics, she could haveavoided the bubble gum world and become a more serious actual artist.

Live, FoS is filled withenergy and a strong musical tension that is not lost on this album. There is atangible energy throughout, a flow and a strength that will take them furtheras they evolve what is too often considered a dead genre. Don’t give up onguitar based gothic rock…Faces of Sarah won’t let you…if you are smart enough.

Track List:
1.) All That Is Divine
2.) Heaven
3.) Forever Sleep
4.) Second Skin
5.) Fatalistic Warning
6.) …Baby One More Time
7.) As You Were Leaving
8.) Come To Me
9.) Where No Shadows Fall
10.) Love Me 2

The Faces Of Sarah are:
Nick Schultz: vocals, lyrics
Alan Tampion: guitars, keyboards
Frank Walters: basses, keyboards
John Currie: guitars, keyboards
David Lockwood: drums, background vocals, keyboards

The Faces Of Sarah – Official Website:
http://www.thefacesofsarah.com
Email: twentyfour@thefacesofsarah.com
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The Face Of Sarah
Twentyfour
~reviewed by Matthew

Britain’s The Faces Of Sarah are one of the few bands that give me hope that traditional Gothic Rock is not entirely dead, but just on a lethargic sabbatical. After being introduced to the band via last year’s three-song mini sampler, I have been excited to see whether or not these guys make a break in the ‘Goth mainstream’ where they most certainly deserve to be.

With a sound that contributes a modern adaptation of the murky arpeggio guitar work of Fields Of The Nephilim with the angsty yet bizarre dance appeal of the Sisters, The Faces Of Sarah are a band that resurrect the lost guitar hooks, pulsating bass guitar work, and live drumming that electronics have all but eclipsed from the darkwave underground. Not to mention the fact that TFOS are lead by vocalist Nick Schultz, who truly possess the gift of voice. His vocals are riddled with an honest and raw emotion, yet possessing a smooth and honey-throated quality. In my humble opinion, an ability to truly sing can never go out of style and will always be one of the most important assets of any band, regardless of their style.

TFOS should not be mistaken for a band that is merely adopting a dated style of music for the sake of doing so. Instead, they really have succeeded in producing a quality record that has both a contemporary and old school feel. Their influences do bleed through, but they have filtered their inspiration through their own unique filter and the end result is an excellent CD with its own style. They really do set themselves apart from other bands, as there are few bands active today producing this kind of music, with the exception of perhaps Judith, Mephisto Walz, and a small percentage of Faith & The Muse’s work.

It would also be a mistake to assume that the band takes it’s Gothic Rock roots too seriously, because despite the sincerity of the release overall, there is an amusing rendition of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” appearing right smack in the middle of the CD! To break off on a tangent, a friend of mine has always argued that the lyrics of Britney’s squeaky modern day classic had a certain Gothic appeal:

“How was I supposed to know that something wasn’t right here…
My loneliness is killing me
I must confess I still believe
If I can’t have you I’ll loose my mind
Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time”

The sulking, obsessive and masochistic undertones are unmistakable and though I am positive that the song was indeed meant for fun, it may be the darkest track on the album! TFOS’ interpretation of it is both stark and quite troubled, with overdriven guitar arpeggios, eerie drum cascades, and an intense vocal performance. In fact, the song is pretty much unrecognizable despite the lyrics, and it may not have the dancefloor gag appeal that it could. Instead, the song is a misanthropist’s delight and a rewarding gas for those that actually pay attention to the lyrics of songs.

This debut full-length release from The Faces Of Sarah is just what the doctor ordered for ailing fans of Rosetta Stone, The Wake, and the Lorries. Granted, a great bit of the songs possess a similar pace, a similar feel, and they seem to have a preference for similar musical keys, but the string of upbeat Goth rock anthems are broken up by slower and more pensive tracks like “Love Me(2)” which recalls Sisters tracks like “Lights” and "Valentine” as well as the recent unreleased track “Romeo Down” to mind. I don’t claim that this is like, THE Gothic release of the millennium or anything that drastic, but it is indeed one of the better efforts I have heard lately.

Overall, ”Twentyfour” is a refreshing album on a multitude of levels. The album’s opening track “All That Is Divine” has the potential to pack dance floors with it’s high energy and contagious chorus, and though I really resent the fact that many Gothic oriented bands are validated by their club potential, I have to say that this is something that can appeal to not only the masses, but to the anti-social homebodies that miss ‘the old days’ as well. I highly recommend this release to not only fans of dark music, but to club promoters and DJs that are looking for something a bit more organic to stir up the monotonous mess of electronica and discogoth that is flourishing at the moment.

The Faces Of Sarah – Official Website:
http://www.thefacesofsarah.com