I think it’s pretty safe to say Failsafe are one of the best, if not the best, live bands in the UK right now and on that alone it’s pretty criminal that they are not bigger and better known than they currently are. ‘The Truth Is…’ will certainly solidify that feeling – this is a great album after all – but I’m not sure whether the rest of the UK will catch on or not. It should do, but there’s nothing here that sets the band apart from a lot of other bands. Granted, Failsafe are better than nearly all of them, but whether the mainstream wants to hear another band like all the others is open to debate. Sometimes you don’t get all that you deserve – that sentence describes this band better than I ever could (but will now try to anyway).
This is, hands down, Small Town‘s best release to date. I can’t imagine they were the only label interested and so they’ve done well to snag a band of Failsafe‘s quality. For those of you who have followed the band since their Duckhunt incarnation, you may be surprised to hear the brass has totally disappeared. The songs are more ‘rock’ than ever before; refined and straightened out, slicker than ever before although not overly polished. The bio describes them as similar to “Brand New, Hot Water Music and Kids In Glass Houses” but they sound like none of the above at all. Not even close. The band do have the energy of all of those bands mind you, and ‘Only If We Learn’ and ‘Hope’ are really, really good songs.
Jim and Andy trade vocal blows better than they ever have done before and it’s best showcased on the likes of ‘A Common Goal’ and the crunchy ‘Mirror Mirror’. Even the slower songs, which Failsafe have managed to sneak up on us, sound great. ‘Cities and Headlights’ manages to sound impressive without coming across as the token ballad. This is a great album, one of the best homegrown releases of the year. Will it get them more mainstream success? Not sure, it should do but the media are fickle beasts and I’m not sure this is up their alley. Either way, check this out and revel in a band that deserve your attention.