Fawn Spot's Debut 'From Safer Place' Needs To Find Its' Feet

Fawn Spots are a York based 'post - punk' band who cite Husker Du, Joy Division and Mission of Burma as influences in their music.  This is their debut album called 'From Safer Place'.

They describe the album as a reflection of their "existential angst" and "the idea that growing older distances oneself from a place of security, propelling oneself into a position of ambivalence".  After such a high brow introduction I did not know what to expect for this new record but after having listened to it a few times if I was asked to describe it in a word I would have to say 'chaotic'.

In a punk album this is no bad thing and you have to admire the bands overarching dedication to the punk ethic through their self-recorded, self engineered effort crammed with 2 minute bursts of energy culminating in an album which comes in just shy of 25 minutes.  However, chaos is not always a good thing for this band.  There are times when the band comes across as trying to be too clever which results in them having a split personality; simultaneously trying to emulate the guttural, ferocious sounds of bands like Sick of it All whilst throwing in angular, post punk style guitar riffs.

Tracks like 'New Sense', 'From Safer Place' and 'Natural Vision' demonstrate that there's a sound there which has the potential to develop into a good album.  But, with tracks like 'Black Water' which manages to be self-indulgent, meandering and unfocused all within three minutes and 'In Front of the Chestnut', which is so out of place on this album that you feel it has been included as a concession to a grumpy guitarist, you cannot help but feel this band is capable of more.

From their recordings you can hear an energy that would be amazing to see live.  However, until they are more confident about their identity and the direction that they want to go in I cannot see them producing an album which consistently delivers the quality of the aforementioned stand out tracks.

To visit the Fawn Spots Facebook page
click here. Words by Dominic Munden

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