When the Faint released their debut album Sine Sierra, Conor Oberst was a band member and they were known as Norman Bailer. That was nearly twenty years ago, and if that makes you feel old, imagine how the Faint must’ve felt when they went on hiatus following 2008’s Fasciination. For sullen teens who thought Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine were for jocks, the Faint's angsty, political electro-punk could've seemed like the most exciting shit imaginable, and by the time they reunited to play festivals in 2012, everyone was free to admit “Agenda Suicide” kinda kicked ass. A new album wasn’t part of the deal, but if we’re going to get one anyway, at least the title of Doom Abuse shows their heads are in the right place. They’re not here for new recruits.
Of course, that means the Faint still have to make Faint-like music, and they can’t claim any new insight to our political and socioeconomic problems. Regardless if Todd Fink has opinions on the NSA and the Crimea, as far as he’s concerned, 2014 might as well be 2004—or 1994, or 1984. During the anti-everything recitation of “Animal Needs”, Fink nasally intones, “We don’t need soap/ We don’t need straws/ We don’t need software to tell us we’re lost.” He also tells us we don’t need toilets, so...shots fired, American Standard?
The level of discourse on Doom Abuse will hit the spot for people who still think Desaparecidos’ political views are a little too nuanced. Who knows if Fink even believes half the shit he says, but his functional nihilism is an accessory not all that different than pleather pants or Commie-chic album covers: disaffection is sexy, so whether you’re batting your guyliner or rolling your eyes, it’s all part of the same outfit. As he sings at one point, “Evil voices lie when they say you’re in love!”, proving that even coupling is inextricable from shadow-government involvement.
To the Faint’s eternal credit, their sacrifice of any modicum of "cool" means the songs on Doom Abuse more fun-silly than flat-out dumb. It’s even more Faint-like than the exceedingly sui generis Fasciination, so at the least they can be forgiven for giving the people what they want. Even if they’re subject to fairly brazen ripoffs—there’s at least twenty different Cure riffs that are similar to the one that drives “Mental Radio”, and the XTRMNTR JR industrial agit-prop of “Animal Needs” is pretty much a verbatim copy of Primal Scream's “Swastika Eyes.”
Doom Abuse is most enjoyable when its superficial slapstick is at its most pronounced, which is most of the time—it’s uptempo, it’s unashamedly hooky, Fink shouts a lot, and it’s over before you can take the time to pick apart study hall manifestos like “Unseen Hand” or “Dress Code”, a 100-second shoutdown against, uh, dress codes. Doom Abuse isn’t so much an argument for the Faint’s continued relevancy as it is for the potency of their real-time nostalgia.
Most Read Album Reviews
-
-
Cloud Nothings
Here and Nowhere Else
By Ian Cohen; March 31, 2014
-
Mac DeMarco
Salad Days
By Marc Hogan; April 1, 2014
-
The Hold Steady
Teeth Dreams
By Paul Thompson; March 28, 2014
-
Johnny Cash
Out Among the Stars
By Kim Kelly; March 27, 2014
-
Miles Davis
Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3
By Mark Richardson; March 31, 2014
-
Future Islands
Singles
By Jeremy D. Larson; March 25, 2014
-
Max Richter
Memoryhouse
By Grayson Currin; April 2, 2014
-
Machinedrum
Fenris District EP
By Larry Fitzmaurice; March 28, 2014
-
Manchester Orchestra
Cope
By Ian Cohen; April 1, 2014
-
The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
By Stuart Berman; March 18, 2014
-
-
-
The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
By Stuart Berman; March 18, 2014
-
Pharrell
G I R L
By Larry Fitzmaurice; March 7, 2014
-
Perfect Pussy
Say Yes to Love
By Lindsay Zoladz; March 17, 2014
-
Skrillex
Recess
By Nate Patrin; March 21, 2014
-
Cloud Nothings
Here and Nowhere Else
By Ian Cohen; March 31, 2014
-
Future Islands
Singles
By Jeremy D. Larson; March 25, 2014
-
Mac DeMarco
Salad Days
By Marc Hogan; April 1, 2014
-
Real Estate
Atlas
By Jayson Greene; March 3, 2014
-
Rick Ross
Mastermind
By Craig Jenkins; March 6, 2014
-
Liars
Mess
By Ian Cohen; March 24, 2014
-
-
-
Sun Kil Moon
Benji
By Ian Cohen; February 3, 2014
-
St. Vincent
St. Vincent
By Lindsay Zoladz; February 24, 2014
-
Beyoncé
Beyoncé
By Carrie Battan; January 6, 2014
-
Beck
Morning Phase
By Ryan Dombal; February 25, 2014
-
The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
By Stuart Berman; March 18, 2014
-
Real Estate
Atlas
By Jayson Greene; March 3, 2014
-
Pharrell
G I R L
By Larry Fitzmaurice; March 7, 2014
-
Angel Olsen
Burn Your Fire for No Witness
By Lindsay Zoladz; February 17, 2014
-
Perfect Pussy
Say Yes to Love
By Lindsay Zoladz; March 17, 2014
-
Broken Bells
After the Disco
By Larry Fitzmaurice; February 4, 2014
-
-
-
News
The Faint Announce New LP Doom Abuse, Share "Help in the Head" Video
Also announce tour
By Evan Minsker on February 25, 2014 at 01:00 p.m.
-
Listen: Members of Deerhunter, Black Lips, the Faint Contribute to Found Sound Compilation
By Evan Minsker on January 1, 2014 at 01:45 p.m.
-
Watch the Faint Perform Two Danse Macabre Tracks on Pitchfork.tv's "City of Music"
By Pitchfork on January 30, 2013 at 12:10 p.m.
-
Pitchfork.tv × YouTube
City of Music
The Faint
The Faint Perform "Agenda Suicide" and "Glass Danse"
-
Photos
-
News
Saddle Creek to Reissue the Faint's Danse Macabre
Download a 2003 bonus cut, "Take Me to the Hospital"
By Jenn Pelly on August 21, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.
-
-
-
News
Aziz Ansari Dons Daft Punk Helmet on "Parks and Recreation"
By Zoe Camp on April 4, 2014 at 07:52 a.m.
-
Arcade Fire, Black Keys, Jack White, Robert Plant, More to Play Glastonbury
By Evan Minsker and Zoe Camp on April 4, 2014 at 05:20 a.m.
-
Reviews
Sage the Gemini
Remember Me
By Craig Jenkins
Sage the Gemini of the Bay Area’s Heartbreak Gang collective has refined a sound that draws influence ...
-
White Hinterland
Baby
By Paula Mejia
White Hinterland's latest finds Casey Dienel experimenting with more jagged percussion and orchestral flourishes, notably horns. But ...
-
Teebs
E S T A R A
By Nate Patrin
Teebs' 2010 debut Ardour had a way of flooding your ears with lush sonic environments. On his new ...
-
The Faint
Doom Abuse
By Ian Cohen
The Faint released their debut album Sine Sierra nearly twenty years ago, and if that makes you feel ...
-
-
-
News
Arcade Fire, Black Keys, Jack White, Robert Plant, More to Play Glastonbury
By Evan Minsker and Zoe Camp on April 4, 2014 at 05:20 a.m.
-
Reviews
De La Soul
Smell the D.A.I.S.Y.
By Nate Patrin
De La Soul's work with J Dilla helped define their transition from the Prince Paul-produced lightheartedness of ...
-
News
Aziz Ansari Dons Daft Punk Helmet on "Parks and Recreation"
By Zoe Camp on April 4, 2014 at 07:52 a.m.
-
Tracks
-
Reviews
The Faint
Doom Abuse
By Ian Cohen
The Faint released their debut album Sine Sierra nearly twenty years ago, and if that makes you feel ...
-
News
Sigur Rós Will Cover "The Rains of Castamere" for "Game of Thrones" Soundtrack
By Jeremy Gordon on April 3, 2014 at 03:44 p.m.
-