The Faint

Whereas gritty dramatists such as Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, and Devo once existed in a vacuum, flouting pop tradition with idiosyncratic, synth-borne friction, new school progeny The Faint exists as if in a vacuum bag. The Omaha, Nebraska quintet amasses stylized flecks within its syncopated voltage-spiked vortex and spits forth stylistic hopscotch on its first full-length since 2001. "Erection" draws from the glam clap and growling yawn of German schaffel techno. "I Disappear" features fuzzy walking bass and punk-funk guitar scratch. Overall, Wet From Birth is a playful and elastic album from the Faint, which has grown adept at acknowledging its inspirations, but not quite accomplished enough yet to absorb them.

Related Content

• Metric Conversion
  September 15, 2011
• Miami's Best Albums of 2011: Afrobeta's Under the Streets
  December 19, 2011
• Susan Boyle's Depeche Mode Cover and Five Other Artists Who Ruined Perfectly Good Songs
  September 30, 2011
• Battles (and Nisennenmondai!) Blow Minds at Grand Central, October 27
  October 28, 2011
• Girls, Girls, Girls, and a Man With a Very Smooth Head
  October 14, 2011

More About

• Gary Numan
• The Faint (Band)
• Depeche Mode
• Theatrical Plays
• Theater