The Fall — New Facts Emerge
The album has a runtime of spot on the forty-eight-minute mark, and takes eleven tracks. After the brief thirty-second intro track, we’re into ‘Fol De Rol'- a tightly wound blend grooving & punchy guitar chug- which flits between seared surf, Mancunian punk, and proto-metal funk. With Mr. Smith in good snarling ‘n’ growling form over the top- it’s a fine opening to the album, and I particularly enjoy the moments its breaks down in wavering wonk-ness; before powering up once more.
Track number two “Brillo De Facto”- as first feels a little aimless in it’s tight 'n' bland up-beat & tuneful indie strut. Though it's just about saved by unbalancing moments of drifting unease, which bring together stretched ambience & bounding bass sinister-ness .
One of the highlights here comes in the form of the nearing nine minutes of “Couples Vs Jobless Mids 30’s”- this track seesaws between haphazard doom metal chug & Mr Smith's demented rants. Spacey-to spiraling guitar effects ‘n’ bounding bass work-outs, with weird sing-song/ and wonky theatrical backing vocals. To later more bouncy surf lined indie riff craft.
The album is at its best when it’s letting the more off-kilter & wonky moments leak in, and less effective where it just relies on replaying predictable post-punk/ indie/ garage rock/rockabilly riffs in rather monotone & uninspired fashion. The problem is that it feels like half of the album is trying to unbalance you, and the other half( mainly the shorter tracks) finds the band on often shambling autopilot.
One of the things that make The Fall still so intriguing & rewarding after all these years is their unpredictability. And there are tracks & moments on New Facts Emerge where their inspired unpredictability shines though, though sadly there are also moments where they sound lackluster & bored too. So in conclusion, not the most consistent Fall album in the last ten or so years, but equally it's not their worst either.