Fake News - Take Me Away (EP Review)
Fake News – Take Me Away
Released: March 15th, 2023
Lineup:
Tim Russ // Vocals
Nick Vanderkley / Bass
Nat MacDonald // Drums
Darren Crowe // Guitars
Mick Braszell // Guitars
Fake News online:
2023 is shaping up the be a hell of a year for music fans. I don’t think I’ve heard this many great releases in such a short amount of time. Bands across every genre are putting out incredible releases and fortunately for fans of melodic punk, Take Me Away, by Fake News is no exception.
Queensland has long been a place that produces countless great punk rock bands - The Disables, Mouthguard, The Black Market, Flangipannis, oh, and The Saints. Fake News might have their work cut out to stand out in this field but they seem more than up for the challenge. Releasing their debut album in 2021, Everyday Warrior, the band seems to have spent their time since then wisely and produced a tight, focused, and absolutely killer EP.
Stylistically they're very much in the company of bands like Strung Out, Good Riddance, NUFAN, and Millencolin but with a modern edge and plenty of homegrown flavour. There are countless imitators of this sort of sound and in the wrong hands it would feel stale and lifeless but Fake News are the real fucking deal. They’re a band that’s been inspired by some seriously cool music but have used that inspiration to build something new and exciting.
One thing that strikes me about Take Me Away is that all of the songs have a strong melodic core. The songwriting is really solid. It feels like all of these songs could be banged out with just an acoustic guitar and still hit you just as hard. It’s the kind of thing that separates good music from great music and you had better believe that this is great music. The dynamic between the lead guitar and the vocals is really impressive - it doesn’t oversell the concept and try to be tech punk or some bullshit, it’s just the addition of the odd counter melody and some other intricacies to elevate the material and drive home some of the hooks. Nothing exemplifies this better than 'Nothing Town’ where the chorus encapsulates the best of what this band can do. Powerful and catchy vocals blend with the guitars and the chaos of the drums to really nail the angst and apathy of small-town life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvxC38PmPaY
The production of the EP is also quite impressive. It’s got plenty of breathing room in the mix but still hits like a hammer where it counts - all grounded by MacDonald’s drumming which keeps everything driven and urgent. I’m a sucker for a good bass sound and Vanderkley delivers the goods. His playing is creative and articulate and the tone is sharp as fuck. I often find that bass is the first casualty of some of the more over-compressed garbage out there so hearing a bass player absolutely shredding like they’re in the room with me always puts a smile on my face.
The bottom line here is that Fake News have banged out a hell of an EP and I’m really excited about what they’re going to do next. Take Me Away is wall-to-wall great songwriting, adrenaline-inducing, punk rock. It rules.
If you’re a fan of punk good music you should get this sucker into your rotation. You’re gonna love it.
Fake News - Take Me Away tracklisting
- Where We Stand
- Nothing Town
- …Rise & Fall
- Hand Of Doubt
Rating: 8/10
Take Me Away is out now! Get into it here
Review By - Dave Mullins
