There’s something about Fictionist that is promising and to have that potential makes their music something to look forward to. Unfortunately, their self-titled album doesn’t highlight their best work as some songs are of mediocre quality. The band have succeeded on their own terms by being part of the SXSW festival and for them to get that kind of exposure into the music world is an achievement itself. With their indie-alternative roots, I see a band that has a lot to learn from their work, but that also has a lot of potential.
Cutting edge in its introduction, “Cut-String Kite” has a chilled and slow approach in its atmosphere. The bass line summons itself through the song’s layered instrumentals with a hint of indie pop vibes echoing throughout the track. It’s a slow and off-beat track with not much command going into it as it flows through a heavy, mellow concoction.
It becomes a challenge to keep engaged with the album as the second track strays away from being impressive, with “Not Over You” magnifying a groovy style. It’s a compliment enough that the bass plays lead roles in most songs as it’s an instrument that tends to be overlooked by most people nowadays. Although there’s frequent involvement from the bass guitar, it doesn’t change the fact that this track is a way to kill time.
“Statue In The Stone” makes an interesting addition but could also throw off some listeners with its clunky structure. You can actually tell that there’s some influence coming from Imagine Dragons and although the emotions convey such intensity in a track like this, question marks appear of all sorts when a random guitar solo is heard. It’s almost as if the band are trying to be rock n’ roll, emerging from an indie scene of music.
It’s worth mentioning though that there are some stellar tracks from the record and it’s nice to see this balanced out, making the entirety of the album not so tiresome. Tracks like “Miss You”, “Can’t Get Enough” and “Leave The Light On” have a catch in all of them as they infuse contemporary aspects that make some of them the most beautiful tracks you could ever come across. The experimentation between keyboards and transcending acapellas to soft acoustics is incredibly rewarding, and allows us to see their charm as a band flow through their music. It’s safe to say that these underrated gems are worth sticking around for.
There are people like myself who are quite picky when it comes to indie music but overall, it all depends on personal taste. Some might like what they hear and some will not and this may be the case for Fictionist’s self-titled record. It’s true when they say a band takes time to progress and it’s recommended that these guys experiment with the more eloquent and graceful side to their music.
Review Score: 6.5 out of 10
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Fictionist’s self-titled album is out now
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