Review by Doug Cornell

Somewhere on the east coast of America, there is a group of very talented musicians who got together and formed a band called "Need."  Possessing vast amounts of ambition, these artists sequestered themselves in various studios and recorded a very satisfying album, Fade-In.

The albums 14 songs are lush and complex, as crystal-clear guitars, strings, percussion, build a base for the unpretentious vocals of Rob Kurfehs.  The band explores the entire gamut of indie pop over the course of the album, but the lighter side of the sonic envelope is generally favored.  Beginning with a very satisfying string quartet intro, the lead-off track, "Civilized," is successful at quickly pulling the listener into the record.  Acoustic piano and masterful percussion propel this lively track.  Kurfehs' voice isn't immediately memorable, as it seems to lack a distinctive quality of its own.  But he does sing well, and the voice certainly is enjoyable and fits well within the context of the music.

As the album continues A light acoustic pop track ("Aftermath") is followed with a bouncy rocker with a clever descending-scale chorus ("Wasted Tears").  An instrumental acoustic guitar interlude (aptly titled "Interlude") leads to a bluesy rock track ("If") that features a smooth organ sound combined with suitably chugging electric guitars. 

Half way  through the album, the tone and substance of the songwriting gets darker.  "Interlude #4 and 15" is a slow burner, as arpeggiated electric guitars morph into a wall of glorious shoegazer sound.  Midway  through the track, the guitars are let loose in the form of a long, melodic guitar solo.  The band finds their niche and continue the hard-rocking trend with the dark yet uplifting track "The Calling."  The listeners is fooled to think the band has suddenly gone soft  with the track "Looking Around," but this is only a ruse, as the song offers a very powerful yet melodic chorus that would make Matthew Sweet proud.

Need aspires to play in the same territory as the Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, or even Spoon.  Fade-In stands alone on its own merit though, as the entire album is packed with quality material.

You may listen to album in its entirety here.