Album Review

Faire Osciller – ‘Drifting’ [Album Review]

‘Drifting,’ the debut album from Faire Osciller, is musically well-developed and full of undeniable emotions, a sonic venture of consequence.

Published

2 months ago

02/17/2024

Randy Radic

Faire Osciller ‘Drifting’ album artwork

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Alt-rock/power-pop duo Faire Osciller recently released their debut album, Drifting, a nine-track collection of scrummy, compelling music produced by Tom Beajour.

Speaking about the album, Faire Osciller shares, “It’s impossible to get away from the energy that life throws at us. Try as we might to slow things down, sometimes, the best we can do is drift from one side to another. Our debut album ‘Drifting’ documents exactly that – a change in course, a change in emotion, a change in progression, a change in heart. All of these things make our lives a little bit tougher and a little bit better in retrospect.”

Made up of Tim Williams and AJ Tobey, joined on the record by Jack Lawless, Williams and Tobey first met in a bar in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, while Williams was on tour. They decided to start a band called Faire Osciller, which is French for oscillate.

Drifting begins with “Get Through,” blending alt-rock with hints of pop into a dirty yet gleaming tune drenched in heady guitars topped by evocative vocals conveying encouraging tones. Entry points include “Tornado,” a personal favorite because of its brawny, pushing rhythm and thick, grating guitars that take on cutting, jangly muscle on the solo.

“Hey Ho, Oh No!” conjures up suggestions of U2 crossed with Kings of Leon, only more grungy. Another excellent track, “Stay Young,” rolls out on treacly guitars, exposing dual coloration, one luminous and strident, the other deep and growling, creating edgy harmonics with beaucoup substance.

The final track, “Summertime,” reveals dreamy psychedelia amalgamated with dense washes of guitars, simultaneously heavy and glossy. The vocals, wistful and musing, float across the soundscape as if lost in an enchanting daydream.