Lest you fall under the assumption that Saddle Creek Records is tapped out of sensitive, introspective white boys, behold the Faint’s Joel Peterson as he explores the tribulations of twenty-something suburban life like a seasoned professional. His second release, Inside/Absent reveals a new focus, replacing booming bass lines with delicate piano parts. The introduction of manipulated vocals adds density to flittering synthesizers, and only occasionally makes the overall mix slightly muddled, not such a bad thing — Peterson’s lyrical ramblings aren’t very interesting. While the album’s mood is dominated by meditative piano solos, tracks like ‘Burn My Body’ neatly blend synths and heavy guitars, assuring fans that the explosive qualities of the Spindles’ can still be found. Peterson’s quest for a contemplative, moody sound is admirable, and it’ll be interesting to see how he works out the kinks over the next couple releases. Until then, meh.
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