Listen Live!
The Voltage Lounge is known around the Philadelphia music scene for hosting wild shows within a rather small venue, and with the block long line forming by the door I knew that tonight’s show was going to live up to expectations.
The show began with a quick introduction by Hold Close, a pop-punk band from Missouri who immediately went into songs with whimsical melodies appetizing the audience to what would come. Following them was WSTR, another pop-punk band, this time from Liverpool. The group can best be described as the best parts of Blink 182 fused with a sort of raunchy anarchy. It was not long after the band had struck their first chords that the crowd began to mosh against, and to surf upon one another, channeling inner tattooed and teenaged skaters that were so common a decade ago.
Finally, with much passive aggressive anticipation from the opening bands, The Faim entered too raucous applause. Josh Raven, the band’s lead vocalist, wasted no time in blowing the crowd back with booming bass and ferocious facial gestures that riled up the whole venue. While the set consisted of a balanced mix of songs from the band’s last EP and debut LP, the most standout moments consisted of new material. Tracks like Tongue Tied, with it’s opening of strumming bass echoed around the walls of the venue like a heartbeat, knocking everyone into a chaotic rhythm. Beautiful Drama, meanwhile, struck a grandiose note with its looming vocals and leering drum kicks.
Though The Faim’s penchant for dramatic crowd pleasing headbangers was on full display throughout their time on stage, Josh and co were not afraid to turn down the tempo with songs like Infamous and Worlds Apart. Both tracks caught the crowd in an inspirational sway and truly showcased Josh Raven’s vocal skill, despite the latter’s complicated rhyming scheme and tempo.
It is hard to pinpoint a band’s particular sound when they have so few songs in their repertoire. Despite this, The Faim’s performance at the Voltage Lounge demonstrated a new, fleshed out, and darker side than in years past. 2019’s The Faim is thrilling in their exploration of identity and their songs reflect this fact perfectly. Much of them open and close to an emotional center that is, simply put, more personal than what was offered in their previous EP, Summer is a Curse. It would appear that The Faim is veering away from their pop roots, and driving towards a more alternative future. Though songs found on their newest album like Worlds Apart still have poppy effects on the vocals and in the background, songs from their previous EP, like A Million Stars sound almost like they are from a different band!!
The Faim still has plenty of time to grow and to change their sound as they see fit. From what we can gauge from their previous work, and their current, is that they are eager, ready, and excited to experiment on their next album. Only time will tell what these four young musicians will do with their time in the spotlight. I have good faith that it will be something truly stupendous.
Review By: Noah Edwards
