Whoa, who poured Radiohead all over my Fane? While his debut had traces of their style, Our New Quarters absolutely channels them. Bigger, bolder, and heavier, the new album cuts down on the ambience in favour of more guitar grit and commanding beats. It's catchier and more rock-oriented, leaving the realm of thoughtful music to demand more of your attention.Thankfully, however, this isn't a bad thing. While his style may have lost a tiny bit of character in the refining process, Fane still creates some really interesting music. He hasn't necessarily changed, either - you can still find subtle wind ambience peeking in through quiet cracks, making sure that you haven't forgot about them. His singing is slightly more coherent this time around, less mumbled and more effectively delivered. It also sounds just like a certain special someone. One completely new aspect of Our New Quarters comes in the form of loud, urgent post-rock numbers that pull his compositions to rousing climaxes. Brilliant? No, but it is incorporated really well.
Some of the songs do take a bit of a tumble. "Downfall" is total filler. It feels like an interlude, and perhaps it serves some point, but the banally repetitive piano doesn't win any points. "Break and Enter" features a bit of a droll beat that rides the mix way too high, but the song eventually introduces a driving guitar tone to pick things up.
This is different from Special Forces, that's for sure, but it holds its own and stands upon its own merits. Its Radiohead influences are written all over it, albeit successfully. In fact, I find that this album holds less filler tangents than the average Radiohead release, opting for more straightforward numbers. While I may prefer the debut over this due to my own predilection to ambient-centric music, this is still a solid album.
Verdict: Win [4/5]
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