sealed human: press: blank-wave review
Blank-Wave Arcade
reviewed by Cheryl Botchick for CMJ
The Faint's sophomore album leaves little doubt with regard to the band's
influences. There are enough references to familiar new wave and synth-pop tunes of the
'80s to keep the heads of longtime new music fans spinning: Aren't those shouts just like
those on "Der Komissar"? Is that phrase lifted from "Blue Monday"? What separates the
Faint from other retro-futurists (e.g. Stephin Merritt's synth-loving Gothic Archies), though,
is that the band's core is all rock, and its use of dated synths and drum machines is merely
cosmetic, as opposed to a lingering gimmick. Even if frontman Todd Baechle's vocals
remain sufficiently David Gahan-ishly dour throughout Blank Wave Arcade, The Faint is a
nervy, forward-thinking force to be reckoned with, and not just a tribute band in disguise.
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