Fore Father – Great Pretender
“Great Pretender” is the latest release by Fore Father, an outstanding American music outlet based in Los Angeles, California. Arriving after “Chrysalis” and “All I Ever,” two exceptional singles released earlier this year that vividly showcase what you might expect from the remainder of the material, “Great Pretender” represents their debut full-length album, packed with ten incredible songs suitable for anyone who appreciates cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music. Operated by Stephanie Carlin and Carey Clayton, two profoundly creative songwriters whose ideas and musicianship go beyond comprehension many times throughout these tracks, this album represents a remarkable triumph of their collaboration. Sonically, “Great Pretender” carries so many qualities that it’s nearly impossible to grasp them all in one listening. The duo uses various approaches, different techniques, unique directions, and many complementary music genres to illustrate such a luxuriant backdrop that immediately wraps around the listening apparatus, grabs you by the collar, and refuses to let go even after the last notes and beats end. Perhaps alternative rock comes to mind first, as fundamental elements of this style dominate the most in the mix, but you’ll unquestionably notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from indie rock, indie pop, dream pop, and cinematic ambient music found their way into this sonic equation. Fore Father use all these additional sonic ingredients as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to uplift these songs to an entirely new level while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. You’ll notice how each composition carries qualities that meet all trends in modern music production, yet there’s a subtle touch of nostalgia lurking around and spicing things up. This level of dedication to the craft is rarely heard on a music scene nowadays, but it seems like Fore Father assembled all these tracks with such ease. Therefore, these experimentations with various styles, approaches, and techniques resulted in a comprehensive collection of marvelous songs that will satisfy anyone into soulful, wisely assembled, and flawlessly performed music.
Photo courtesy of the band.
As soon as you press play, you’ll notice how Fore Father expertly blends cinematic ambiance with alternative and indie rock sounds, crafting a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, dreamy atmosphere that immediately transports you to a different realm. Each composition arrives with a perfect structure, garnered with profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and marvelous orchestrations, perfectly stacked for maximum listening experience. With the introductory palm-muted notes and synth pads included within the opening composition “Let The Light In,” Fore Father invites listeners on an epic voyage through an expansive sonic universe. The duo employs hypnotic, addictive, catchy vocal harmonies and minimalistic yet addictive beats for maximum impact. It’s a perfect opening track that vividly showcases what you might expect from the remainder of the material. With tracks like “All I Ever,” “Firestarter,” and “Great Pretender,” Fore Father further expands their sound by implementing a collection of memorable synth leads, themes, melodies, harmonies, pads, and other sonic maneuvers. It’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate together without overwhelming each other. The transition from various segments gives the feeling of transitioning through different worlds and passages, creating a psychedelic listening experience worth repeating over and over again. On tracks like “Firestarted” and “Great Pretender,” the song gradually builds a slightly heavier, complex, abrasive atmosphere by incorporating various chord progressions and riffs delivered on acoustic and electric guitars. You’ll also notice how warm-sounding basslines rumble beneath the mentioned instrumentations, contributing more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth, while the carefully crafted percussive segments offer groove, dynamics, and even mode detail. With songs like “Holy,” “Pendulum,” “The Rains,” “The Chrysalis,” the duo leans towards more dreamy, indie, classic, and contemporary pop waters, bringing even more calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, and otherworldly ambiance upfront. It’s nearly mindblowing how they stack all those instrumental layers together without overwhelming each other. Depending on the mood and ambiance of the current composition, Fore Father includes apreggiated or regular chord progressions, intricate low-end maneuvers, and complex rhythmic patterns. These beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics keep everything in line while basslines bring more warmth. The guitars and synths are solely responsible for an otherworldly, psychedelic, cathartic atmosphere, moments where your listening apparatus with deep dive and get lost in perfect instrumentations.
Still, Stephanie Carlin and Carey Clayton’s majestic harmonies act as a centerpiece of each composition, elevating everything to new heights, commanding attention, and leading listeners on this epic sonic journey. Whether exploring low-end registers, levitating somewhere in mid-range, or experimenting with high-end notes, their vocal performances go beyond comprehension by emphasizing everything they intended to achieve with this material. Besides decorating all these compositions, they contribute more than necessary emotional depth and complexity to already intricate structures. Everything is so carefully, thoughtfully, expertly assembled, achieving perfection with such ease. With such a calm song like “Eternal Waters,” Fore Father gradually announces the closure of this material. It’s one of those tracks that arrives like a passage, yet its dominance has a significant impact, thanks to a perfectly composed structure and performance. “Luminous” sums up everything Fore Father intended to achieve with this debut album. It carries every bit and piece that defines their lush sound. From marvelous vocal harmonies, luxuriant synths and guitars to detailed basslines and minimalistic yet effective percussions, it closes this material with such elegance. It has been a while since I had an opportunity to witness a full-length debut like this one. “Great Pretender” goes beyond comprehension so many times. With a perfectly structured soundscape, thoughtful arrangements, and profoundly poetic lyricism, Fore Father crafted a dreamy, cinematic alternative rock masterpiece rarely heard or seen nowadays. It’s a deeply soulful, emotive, honest collection of songs that not only tackles all the senses but also demonstrates Fore Father’s tremendous experience, knowledge, creativity, talent, and skills. You should immediately place “Great Pretender” on your music radar, because these wise, talented, magnificent musicians deserve your utmost attention. The album is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
https://open.spotify.com/album/6AIYG0m5Z4l4p4gm1x5HNF?si=01trwTfSQ2ObpZjiveL5yg
#ALTPOP #ALTERNATIVE #AMBIENT #CINEMATIC #CONTEMPORARYPOP #DREAMPOP #INDIE #INDIEPOP #INDIEROCK #REVIEWS
Photo by Mikaela Kautzky
Photo courtesy of the artist.
