Fauxlennium dropped rather inconspicuously on December 2nd. There was little pre-release fanfare on Instagram, albeit three spread out promotional posts on TV Girl and George Clanton’s social media. Such underwhelming publicity is perhaps unexpected for what is such an interesting collaboration and experimental album. The collection itself is short, with only seven songs spread across 27 minutes, but ultimately impactful.
TV Girl is by itself an indie-electro pop empire, having risen to mainstream fame around three years ago through songs like “Lover’s Rock” and “Blue Hair,” though these viral snippets are not enough to familiarize oneself with the true merits of this musical ensemble. Opposite of what the name suggests, the group is composed of lead singer and frontman Brad Petering as well as various instrumentalists like Jason Wyman, Wyatt Harmon, and Trung Ngo (though there have been lineup changes throughout the years). They began releasing music in 2010, the first notable EP being Lonely Women (2013). Their sound is easily recognizable, with electronic beats, clever sampling, lo-fi production, and strange, poetic lyricism. TV Girl advertises themselves as a refuge for the teenagers of today: angsty, artistic, and accessible.
George Clanton is another phenomenon of the indie genre, known especially for his “DIY approach to everything including managing his own record label (100% Electronica), and curating multiple music festivals”. While he is not as commercially successful as TV Girl is today, he is widely recognized as an accomplished artist who is able to master and pioneer in any genre he wants to, from vaporwave to electronica to “Baggy Revival”. His most recent release Ooh I Rap Ya has been deemed enjoyable and successful by critics and fans alike.
These two artists collaborating has been a ‘threat’ (as TV Girl wrote in their Instagram post) for many years, and it finally occurring has resulted in an intriguing mix of the two styles. While fundamentally they are not too dissimilar, hearing TV Girl beat production and sampling mixed with George Halton’s unique vocals is a huge shift for fans of either one. Many TV Girl fans are complaining it is too different, not as good as previous releases, while others say George Halton should have released independently again. Nonetheless, it is a contribution to the indie-electro-pop genre which cannot be taken back and is ultimately an intelligent, well-thought-out release.
The first track, which is also the most advertised, is Summer 2000 Baby. This song reminds me, as a deeply entrenched TV Girl admirer, of their EP Lonely Women along with some of the gospel production and use of piano on their most recent album Grapes Upon the Vine (which was widely disliked by many new fans, but which I enjoyed greatly). Throughout the piece, there’s sampling and interesting vocal effects put on Clanton’s already distinctive singing. The key feature of the piece is a repeated bass beat in each chorus alongside a weird, funky piano hook which is almost jazzy. The lyrics themselves paint a picture of life on the edge, endless fun and, as the name suggests, summer; like Clanton in his song I Been Young or TV Girl in Taking What’s Not Yours, it is directed to some facet of the youth which longs for maturity or way out, or just to dance. My personal opinion is that this song is quite enjoyable, quirky, and interesting. While it does not go to the top of my list immediately, it has grown on me and it is a great introduction to the album.
The following song, Everything Blue, is one of my favorites on the tracklist. The sampling here reminds me of Jump the Turnstile, and the production is much more reminiscent of Clanton’s work although TV Girl is still clearly heard throughout. This song is less upbeat than Summer 2000 Baby, and it is almost calming. George Clanton’s voice is drowned out by the beat and guitar, but his message still comes through: the lyrics are reminiscent of carefree times, again reaching the adolescent bases of both these artists. After this piece, the title track Fauxlennium plays, giving another attitude about-face. This song has a funky bass beat and trademark TV Girl beat production, and Clanton’s voice continues to give much-needed texture to the music. One particular stanza stood out to me as the overarching message of not just this song, but the whole album: “I want a revolution/ From a pool house with a view/ I see my generation/ And that we got nothing to do.” Ironic that words like this are coming from middle-aged men, but they still ring true and intelligently through my mind as I listen to this album.
The next song was one I was very excited about when I saw the tracklist: Butterflies, featuring Jordana. As any TV Girl fan would know, Jordana is a frequent collaborator with the band and together they came out with Summer’s Over, a great album that has become a true fan favorite. Her dreamy vocals give a certain level of youth to the music, as well as legitimizing the name TV Girl somewhat. And on this song, she was no different. Her voice was beautiful, and the production was experimental, a perfect mashup of Clanton and TV Girl’s style. This might be my favorite just because I love her voice and the lyrics on this. Another set of words that stood out to me: “Even the setting sun’s chained to the sea/ Only butterflies are free”. This is repeated throughout the song, and again, reminds me of these artists’ missions in creation.
The following number is Take a Trip. This one doesn’t directly stand out to me; the production is a bit too lethargic, and Clanton’s voice sounds somewhat uncanny, but maybe this was the goal. It lacks some of the spice and originality of the previous tracks. Next is The Sweet Life, another slow pop beat with elongated vocals from George Clanton. I like this one a bit more because I think the build to each chorus is actually intriguing and serves a purpose. The production is similar to the Death of Party Girl era for TV Girl in some ways, though it is definitely of its own breed. My favorite part of this song is actually the back up vocals, which give depth to the piece and add cool harmonies overall.
The final track is Yesterday’s World, which fittingly reflects on the passage of time and the want to understand and experience what has gone on in the past. It is chock full of TV Girl sampling, reminiscent of previous pieces. Recently, Brad Petering revealed that this is a cover of the song by the same name by the band The Circulatory System. Most interestingly on this track, Petering delivers some vocals here instead of Clanton, which provides for some of the interesting production happening which can be attributed to him now. The song ends with a final sample from an old radio show called Dimension X: “Wake up honey, honey, it’s all over/ We can relax/ Where are we?/ We’re still in 1950, it’s all right/ You must’ve had a nightmare/ I was/ It was awful Bill/ You have just heard another adventure/ Into the unknown world of the future”. This leaves the album on a somewhat unfinished note; it gives the listener something to search for.
While this album is markedly different from anything either of these artists has done, it has roots undeniably in their preferred styles. I greatly enjoyed the album; it is fun, smart, and interesting. However, it doesn’t top other works by either of these musicians for me; it exists in its own sphere, a weird mashup of the two worlds which in some ways works and in other ways does not. I admit as a TV Girl fan it was intriguing for me to hear the typical sampling reused in a different way, something I wish the band would make more frequent in their independent work. I would give this a solid 7/10, and I would recommend it to anyone who already enjoys these two or of the genre in general. Maybe you too will be transported into an ethereal, confusing electro pop world, and given to a trip back in time, to yesterday and beyond.
featured image credit: bandcamp