Grace Hotel
  Overall rating: +++

Album Reviews

A year after releasing The Latest Craze, Fanmail punches fast and hard with their second release, Fanmail 2000. From the first track, 'Time Will Only Tell,' with its upbeat tempo, catchy distorted guitar and clean vocals, the listener knows 2000 will be a joyride. The lively atmosphere is reinforced by clever use of spoken dialog samples, a cover of the Backstreet Boys, and a comic book front cover. Yet, the listener should not expect another cheesy-happy Christian album. Behind the fun is the expression of everyday struggles.

The next three tracks, 'Break Down,' 'Shut Your Mouth,' and 'Run Around My Head,' display a variety of emotional struggles, dealing with cycles of brokenness, recurring arguments and insomniac thoughts. Although all contain some California-grade lyrical repetition, it works with the subject matter.

The cover the Backstreet Boys' 'I want it that way' provides an intermission from serious matters. Using pulsating distorted guitars and scratching effects, Fanmail does the song their way, complete with an occasional background vocal and a step-up key change near the end.

Keeping with the upbeat tempo, but returning to original more meaty material, 'Competition' relates one's confusion when "what you hear ain't always what you see." In similar punk rock fashion, Fanmail pumps out 'Genny,' 'Pulp Fiction,' and 'Good Old Times.' Then 'Hero' changes the feel with a syncopated guitar/bass rhythm accompanied by a closed high hat. The new suit doesn't last long, though, and Fanmail returns to their punk shreds. Through 'Hero,' Scott Silletta, lead singer, states his frustration with idolizing musicians and lumping idealistic expectations on them. In the chorus he laments, "I wanna be the hero ... / build me up to tear me down / ... choose the next poor fool to wear the crown."

Fanmail 2000 closes with 'The Other Side,' which is a tribute to Gene Eugene, who worked with Silletta since he was with Plankeye, as well as singing, playing, songwriting and producing/engineering for other bands. Slower paced than the rest of the album, the song is a fitting tribute to the talented Eugene and his melancholy style.

Fanmail 2000 is entertaining and energetic. The lyrics are straightforward and genuine with some subtle depth. Musically, the band remained rhythmically tight and produced a full sound with minimal instrumentation. Silletta avoids the screaming vocals of harder punks bands in favor of clear vocals, while bassist Pat Guyton adds the occasional backgrounds to help fill the vocal space. At times the album feels redundant: one track seems to carry the same tempo and guitar strumming as the next. However, the different lyrics, variety of melodic lead guitar licks, and weird but appropriate samples help keep the album fun and interesting. Although it's only 35 minutes long, Fanmail 2000 is worth your cash if you like upbeat melodic punk rock with decent lyrics.

~ MJ

Sometimes you have to hope that you can't judge a album by the cover. Here we have a cheezy Heavy Metal type illustration like a bad airbrush job on the '70s space age party van of your worst nightmares. You have computer type listing song titles like "Shut Your Mouth" and "Pulp Fiction," and tag lines like... More Rock Power... so, let's listen, shall we? Perhaps it's rock 'n roll. Upbeat and energetic, with that slick, almost perfect production that can steal the reality away. Guitar heavy riff riding alternative nation kids getting off on the aggressive powers of college radio rock stars. This could be a hit at your next keg party... they even say "Peace, out."

~ Marcel Feldmar