SOMETHING DIRTY

With Faust now getting back into a swing of things with C'est com... com... compliqué and Faust Is Last, and in a decade that thrives upon making experimental music due to the likes of Secret Chiefs 3, Xiu Xiu, and The Mars Volta, it was certainly a good time to be a Faust fan, especially after getting their 2011 record, Something Dirty.

Whilst C'est com... com... compliqué was more of a back to basics for Faust, Something Dirty pushed things into a much heavier direction, implementing noise rock, psychedelia, and an almost Legendary Pink Dots sort of feeling resonating throughout each track, creating a very mystical, and, as the title suggests, dirty atmosphere that feels as though I am walking through a sandstorm with nothing but goggles upon me to protect my eyes.

This is also probably the first Faust record since Faust Wakes Nosferatu to have most of the tracks listed here to be consistently good in my opinion. The actual songs here feel both fractured, yet still consistently delivering, with nothing in the way to make things too egregious. I especially like the track of Lost the Signal. It is a nearly 9 minute piece of sound that has this super cool and foreboding atmosphere, one that reminds me of some of the songs off of Swans' Soundtracks for the Blind, but as the song progresses it turns more into a track that you'd see Faust make in their heyday, with dissonant guitars, lots of flavorful textures, and just some personal love for the entire album that makes this song a pretty masterful experience, especially in regards to the album as a whole.

Sure some tracks, particularly two of Thoughts Of The Dead and Save The Last One, aren't good, but they aren't all that bad comparatively to other lacking tracks the band has made. In fact, they are probably the best of the best in terms of bad Faust tracks. Thoughts of the Dead is pretty creepy, with speeches that give me ideas of some of David Tibet's more atmospheric workings, and while Save the Last One is very short, it is a fine little acoustic jingle to warm up for the last track. Still wouldn't say these tracks are all that stellar, but still they are pretty interesting to me.

Speaking of speeches, this certainly has some of the best vocals ever since Faust IV. Faust have never really been a band that likes to sing, but they did manage to get some good vocal numbers here and there with the help of British painter Geraldine Swayne, who's voice works quite well with the dissonant sounds that the band provides in my opinion, creating an extra unique layer that makes Something Dirty all the more special.

While it may not be as recognized as THE Faust album like Faust IV or The Faust Tapes, nor is it my personal all time favorite like Faust Wakes Nosferatu, Something Dirty still captures a joy that does get pretty close to being the best of the best. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I certainly don't mind its noisy, dissonant rock elements at all, and see it as the next best step from both C'est com... com... compliqué, and Faust Is Last. Definitely listen to it if you have time.

Best tracks: Something Dirty, Lost the Signal, Dampfauslass 1, La sole dorée

Worst tracks: Thoughts of the Dead, Save the Last One