The Album:

After providing everyone with a little taste with a preview review back in May, I am excited to dive in to talk about The Farside’s debut EP- Party’s Over. From the jump, one thing is certainly clear, this band has a vision for their sound, but they don’t mind bending and twisting that characteristic sound to make some groovy tunes. When listening to the record as a whole, it is heard that the lyrics that the band are providing are on the next level. If one would read their lyrics, they would believe that this band has been in the game for some time. They are catchy, memorable, and witty- what more could you want? Moving towards the instrumentation, it is apparent that the band starts each selection with its own personalized groove. These all tend to connect with the overall sound the band provides, but the groove itself is different moving from track to track, which always makes for a unique musical experience. This allows for major juxtaposition and contrast in terms of the main melodic line, support for the melody, and maybe a breakout instrumental solo here and there.  With the use of instrumental timbres and electronics, it can be said that this album fits comfortably in the alternative-pop/mod-pop musical genres, and if I’m honestly, I would say with enough exposure, this EP could be competitive with the music already prominent in this scene. Each track provides the listeners with enough grounding to be connected to their favorite artists like The 1975 or The Summer Set, but with the big layer of innovation that the band brings, gives listeners the need to make room for their new favorite alt-pop band: The Farside. Overall, I am giving this EP a 4 out of 5 stars. I believe that this is such a strong foundation for this band to springboard off of. With this, I am excited to hear them perform live, one day some day, and see where their musical journey takes us. 

Top Tracks:

“Dizzy” and “idkwhoiam”

When listening to the record as a composite, it is easy to hear the intent and the connection through the band’s characteristic sound as talked about in the general review. However, there are these moments spread throughout the release due to these tracks that just pop out of the mold, draw you in, and make you want to spin this record over and over again. That power alone helps these selections rise to the top. Along with that, it is hard to refute the catchy and likable nature of these tunes. At their core, they make you want to sing and bop along with them. In general, I would give the entire EP a listen, but if you just want a preview- I would start here. 

Album Artwork:

My first thought when looking at the album artwork was the word “brand,” and when you are an upcoming artist, that is exactly what you need to do. When breaking down the image a bit, we see the two members of the band, sitting in the reminisce of what was, noticeably, a party with an elevated gloss overtop of it. This elevated moment was brought to you by neon lights and the branding of The Farside. Let’s dive in to hear how the music connects to the artwork it’s partnered with. When listening to the EP, there is a direct connection to the title and the artwork in the selection “idkwhoiam”, which utilizing the phrase “when the party’s over” as a main point. Additional to that track, in a more abstract light, the band utilizes this theme to streamline ideas and themes that are common for this style of music, lyrically speaking, but they shade it with this witty front that they can connect to the “Party’s Over” theme. This is primarily heard during the track “Bite the Lime”. This song doesn’t provide the lyrical story that one may think of when they read the title of the track, which works to the advantage of the artist. They turn their thematic vision to fit the theme of the artwork to make it match the title, and the blend works beautifully in this song, and the others that surround it on the EP. I would say that the cover art and the music  re solid on their own, but they work quite nicely together as a unit. 

*”Party’s Over” was released on October 30th, 2020 through The Farside.