Better than their debut CD, by far!
John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 12/20/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I heard of them, but as they're only on import, never heard them until on an in-flight CD player back from Dublin. They came into the rotation and I was amazed. Even on cheap airplane headsets, the album sounded powerful, produced with depth and panoramic scope that opened up the painstakingly constructed (thus their name?) tracks. I had to get this.
It's worth the price to buy as an import. It's reminiscent of Britpop of the 90s combining a shoegazing blurred wall of guitar distortion with heartfelt but assertive vocals that sweep across a booming, deeply tracked terrain. The soundscapes open up well on headphones and for what may have been a small budget and modest label for this Northern English foursome, the confident result's particularly impressive. It's more accessible than much of what I listen to in this genre, and Doves might be a fine comparison to guide you by here.
Nearly every song works, and even the less impressive or more ordinary tracks fill in the gaps more strongly than their uneven but solid s/t debut (also reviewed by me), which I like but which by comparison sounds much more mundane, if respectably made, next to this far more explosive, propulsive second record. I like postpunk of the early 80s as well as shoegaze, and this ambitious disc combines both genres without imitating them. Somehow, Engineers build their own walls of sound that while they seem familiar enough to the ear, still manage to surround you with a bold, big, vigorous architecture that should encourage them to keep striving for continued sonic heights."
Three Fact Fantastic
O. Poremba | Ontario, Canada | 07/07/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a big follower of Engineers since their first album they released in 2005. From the first listen, I was hooked. Their second album, "Three Fact Fader" had been highly anticipated and I could not wait to hear what the group had put together. I was slightly skeptical, for every track on the first album was so...perfect. Well, they managed to pull it off, and very well. "Sometimes I Realise" was the first song I heard, and it was terrific. Again, that familiar dream-pop, shoegazing tempo has been carried into the second album. Every track manages to create a different feel, but keeps that same familiar melodic mood throughout.
If you are a fan of the first Engineers album, you may have to give "Three Fact Fader" a few listens to get acquainted with the new songs. But one thing stands for sure: you will NOT be disappointed.
Some of my favs so far: Clean Coloured Wire, Sometimes I Realise, Hang your Head, Song For Andy."
Compression Obliterates Talent
James E. Kiely | Medford, Massachusetts United States | 01/27/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Listen to this CD and to the the group's earlier CD titled "Engineers." You'll note that the amount of compression used in producing "Three Fact Fader" absolutely obliterates the texture, subtlety and musicianship found in "Engineers." I cannot listen to this CD seriously. "Engineers" does have its bad compression moments (harmonies lost, bass lines competing with percussion), but "Three Fact Fader" is uniformly awful noise that that merely resembles music. When will this stop? I truly feel bad for the group because none of this is its fault."
