Note: This is The Faint’s first proper album since Wet From Birth (my #16 Album of 2004). It’s also their first release on their own label, Blank.Wav. Their previous three proper albums came out on Conor Oberst’s Saddle Creek Records.

Sound: Electro rock and danceable pop driven by an exciting mix of synthetic sounds – robotic vocals, fuzzy electro bass and guitar riffs, distorted digital freakouts and synths that bleep, bloop, squeak, bubble, bounce and more. Despite the unlikely collision of noises thrown together, strong melodies and rhythms usually rise above the cacophony.

Heavy Rotation tracks: “Forever Growing Centipedes”; “Mirror Error”

Medium Rotation tracks: “The Geeks Were Right”; “Machine In the Ghost”

Recommended: Though their music usually feels like a bit of an ‘80s retro rehash, The Faint have always risen above nostalgia act status by delivering infectious tunes wrapped in bold combinations of sound. They continue to push the envelope in refreshing ways on Fasciination, but they don’t crank out quite as many memorable hits as they did on their last two albums.

Grade: B