Black Noise

Black Noise was the first album by Canadian trio FM. The band lineup here featured Cameron Hawkins on keys and vocals, Martin Deller on drums and Nash the Slash on violin and mandolin. The music is generally in the accessible vein, rhythmically conventional and consonant. The album gets some non-standard rock tones, however, from the use of violin and mandolin instead of a guitar (there is a little bit of bass here and there, played by Hawkins, but it's almost not noticeable).

The lyrics are kind of campy, mostly dealing with futuristic and utopian themes. This overall space-ace feel is enhanced by the absolute crystal-clean production of the CD (mine is the Canadian CBC issue), one case where this approach really works.

There are eight tunes here, and they are mostly on the short side. Those tracks featuring vocals are often fairly poppy in nature, with some pretty vocal harmonies. Nash the Slash gets some vocal credits, but I suspect many of the harmonies are actually Hawkins multi-tracked. Hawkins' voice is pleasant and clear, soft but not wimpy. There are some instrumentals that get busier and approach fusion territory in parts thanks to the violin work, although that superficial space vibe is omnipresent. Finally there is the requisite "epic prog" track, the ten-minute title track at the end. Although featuring a somewhat anti-climatic ending, it generally delivers the goods.

In all, this is not a very challenging album, but it is a pleasant listen safe in the symphonic camp and would certainly be appreciated by fans in that sphere. — Sean McFee.