As a fan of Radiohead I am drawn to ethereal mixes of lyrics, vocals, guitar and percussion with a slight mix of emo and The Great Fiction accomplishes this with their new album Screaming Through the New Speak. Unlike Radiohead, the great fiction infuses truth into their lyrics and creates a style that begs for more length and more jamming.
This trio from Detroit, comprised of Dan and Phil Zott along with Jon Neme, have delivered lyrics, that aren't too complicated, into a blend of sounds that can either be great background music, driving music, or music used during times of pure thought. The best cuts on the CD occur up front with "All Messed Up," "Not of This World," "In This Realm," and "How Could You Do This." Again, simple lyrics combined with edgy, yet fluid melodies.
Themes center on God's amazing, never ending love for us as undeserving, messed up souls and the feeling that we really are aliens in this land. "All Messed Up" leads to the conclusion that we are messed up for the King of love. "Not of This World" reminds us that we are truly not of this world, something we tend to forget easily. In "How Could You Do This" TGF's lyrics take the listener into a state of worshipful thinking:
this broken body set me free
and I'm ok
who said that I was worth the call
it can't be me
This band has created a place for itself within this alternative genre of music and a CD that can be listened to frequently without becoming tiresome. If they continue to experiment, TGF will remain fresh and insightful and have a following that goes beyond the borders of Michigan.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Ken MuellerThe Great Fiction is one of a few bands out there (like This Beautiful Mess) that's moving the emo genre forward and not merely copying the sounds of their predecessors. The Detroit trio lays down some laid-back indie-rock sounds with Dan Zott's voice works its way through a selection of songs that fully grasp at the state of mankind in this world. The disc starts out with "All Messed Up,"…
