Faris Monshi - Idle Warships

Faris Monshi

Idle Warships
self-released; 2015

3.9 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Matt Jensen

The debut four-song release Idle Worships from Faris Monshi is one you won’t want to miss. According to their Bandcamp page the band has three members consisting of Faris Monshi, Christopher Hatfield and Ben House. It’s a DIY effort besides the mastering (which is always a good move in my opinion) and sounds just short of something you would hear from a top-notch studio. They did a great job producing, recording and mixing and the proof is in the pudding. There is plenty of separation, the drums are strong and they even use reverb in a very effective way. 

You can hear influence from bands like Radiohead, Local Natives and Grizzly Bear to name a few but the band definitely has their own sound as well. I don’t think it’s fully realized at this point but they are on to something. 

The opener “Before The Sun” is an exceptional song that is a perfect balance of melancholy and upbeat dance worthy grooves. The vocalist sings, “I'm waiting on a boat / Sailing along the shore / With my mind full / I'm just a courier / My home is where I stand / And where I lay at last.” The chorus is especially infectious and shouldn't take you too long to be clapping along. 

After an inspired opener the band continues to showcase their innate talent with “Idle Warships.” The song isn’t as dance worthy but simply showcases a slightly different side. I enjoyed the vocal harmonies when they sing “We're Idle Warships / Catching warm wind / In a bottle / Under water / Catching fire.”

The singing on “Sometimes” unequivocally sounds like Thom Yorke in falsetto mode while the vocal harmonies sounds like something you would hear on a Local Natives song. They close with “The End That Came in Fire” which contains the most notable lead guitar work. 

This band needs to keep at it. They're onto something but still need to tighten some bolts which comes in the form of establishing more of an identifiable sound. Keep digging guys you are getting there. 

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