Common Children's debut won them a fair bit of acclaim, but this sophomore album looks set to surpass that. Steve Hindalong has been quoted saying this is the best album he's produced, and there seems to be a fair bit of excitement around concerning Common Children.
The album begins with a laidback track, bringing in cellos and violins to open affairs and then basing things around a passionate, husky vocal and arpeggioed guitar. An unusual opening for an album that becomes so aggressive further in. The second track brings in distortion (albeit light distortion), and by the third track we are entering post-grunge territory.
The instrumentalists are impressive - moving from relaxed to fairly heavy without losing the melody, with some particularly nice bass work underpinning the guitar. The vocalist is also versatile; sometimes I hear some tones which remind me of Kurt Cobain, but then he moves on and the similarities end. The sound obviously owes a lot to the grunge scene but has not become stuck there, developing with more complicated and progressive arrangements and ideas.
The lyrics are well-written, showing the band's connections with The Choir in places. They are mostly concerned with struggle:
Slither into your room
Stained with weak perfume
A silhouette of smiles
Your criminal profile
I'm placing you under Missing
and lost but nearly found
An elegant thunder
The sound of our lives crashing down
We fade away (I bled for you to stay)
We crawl away (Creatures dressed in grace)
We hide away (Freeze ourselves in place)
(from "Indiscreet")
This album shows a band who is definitely striving to create good art. One comment I heard on the album linked it with Radiohead, but it isn't that progressive or dark. It is a strong effort, though, causing me to forget that Tattoo is a 'CCM' label.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
7ball #16Reviewed by Bruce A. BrownThe opening strains of melancholy strings are a definite tip-off that Common Children is trying to put some distance between the predominantly grunge territory of its debut, Skywire, and the more subdued sounds of Delicate Fade. Guitarist/vocalist Mark Byrd, bassist Drew Powell and percussionist Hampton Eugene now pick their moments to howl (literally and figuratively) more judiciously, opting…Puddlegum 1998Reviewed by Nathan CoblentzDelicate Fade, although very different from Skywire, is more of a gathering of new influences than a departure, and finds Common Children moving further from Nirvana-esque grunge and closer to the likes of the Choir, (who produced the album and contributed bgvs and percussion) Jars of Clay, and Oasis. Lyrically, there is less angst and more poetry here. "Eyes of God" speaks on God's healing,…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinThe contrast here between the melodic, catchy neo-ballads and the abrasive, loud, post-grunge rockers is so vast that this album can seem schizophrenic. It's as if the chummy cello-playing Dr. Children at times grabs a mean guitar and becomes the darker alter-ego, Mr. Common. Variety is good, but most folks aren't in the mood for mixing mellow and mosh at the same time. And yet, repeated listens…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Mark J. AylorCommon Children return with their second release Delicate Fade and it really is an excellent effort. While this doesn't have the intensity of their first album, it is still a powerful performance. The grungier sound from their first album has been toned down and now they have a more mature Choir-like (Free Flying Soul) sound. They can still crank it out as shown on the songs "Burn" and "Pulse"…Similar sounding releases
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