Pretending Greatness is Awaiting
| Pretending Greatness is Awaiting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📅 Released | 3 December 2001 | |||
| Studio | Hinchkraft Studios | |||
| ⏳ Length | 52:15 | |||
| 🏷️ Label | Reinforcement Records, Mint 400 Records | |||
| 🤑 Producer | Neil Sabatino, Antonio Valenti | |||
| Fairmont chronology | ||||
| ||||
Buy this album Pretending Greatness is Awaiting or listen to it on amazon
Pretending Greatness is Awaiting is the debut studio album from the American rock band Fairmont.
Background[edit]
Neil Sabatino was the guitarist and backup vocalist for post-hardcore band, Pencey Prep. In 2001, he left the group after low attendance during a three-week tour in the Midwestern United States and fighting within the band.[1] He started a solo acoustic project called Fairmont, named after the city in Minnesota.[2] The Multi-Purpose Solution drummer Dave Caldwell joined Sabatino before recording Pretending Greatness is Awaiting. It was reissued with Mint 400 Records, in 2007.[3]
Content[edit]
The sixteen-track debut album was released on compact disc by Reinforcement Records on 3 December 2001.[4] It was produced by Sabatino and Antonio Valenti at Hinchkraft Studios. The songs were written in two weeks, and the album was recorded in two sessions, the first using electric instruments and the second using acoustic instruments.[5] The album is compared to the music of the punk rock band Jawbreaker, the alternative rock band the Pixies, the indie emo band Pedro the Lion, and the acoustic rock band Dashboard Confessional.[2]
Pretending Greatness is Awaiting reached the Top 10 of MP3.com's indie charts in 2002.[5]
Reception[edit]
In a piece for the album in The Aquarian Weekly, the review says "Fairmont seem to demonstrate their versatility well[;] this disc split between electric and acoustic sessions is a grooving indie machine with just enough emo to tickle the tragic heart."[6] A review in Punk Planet describes Pretending Greatness is Awaiting as "in that Weakerthans' vein, crafting songs that border indie and punk rock while keeping it fresh[;] tracks one through eight are plugged in, and nine through sixteen are acoustic." It concludes by saying "if Fairmont keeps going in this direction and continue to put in the work, these kids could be amazing someday soon."[7]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Every Friend I Ever Had..." | 4:19 |
| 2. | "Shooting Yourself in the Foot" | 2:33 |
| 3. | "The Day After..." | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Escape Plan" | 3:15 |
| 5. | "She's Gone" | 4:17 |
| 6. | "Fan Mail" | 3:09 |
| 7. | "Bizarre Love Triangle" | 2:02 |
| 8. | "I.N.A. (International Noise Anthem)" | 3:04 |
| 9. | "How Summer Tour Turned Me Into an Atheist" | 4:18 |
| 10. | "Rebuilding Home" | 3:17 |
| 11. | "The Lock on the Second Floor Door" | 2:49 |
| 12. | "Showing a Second Rate Back Stabbing Band How it's Done" | 3:39 |
| 13. | "Fake Like Plastic" | 3:17 |
| 14. | "It's Not Rain, God is Spitting on Us" | 3:18 |
| 15. | "Pretending Greatness is Awaiting" | 3:44 |
| 16. | "Jamie" | 1:31 |
| Total length: | 52:15 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Neil Sabatino – vocals, guitar, keys and bass
- Dave Caldwell – drums
References[edit]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- The Aquarian Weekly Staff (2002), "Fairmont - Pretending Greatness is Awaiting", The Aquarian Weekly, archived from the original on 2002
- Draisin, Deborah (2008), "Jersey Beat Interview: Fairmont", Jersey Beat, retrieved 25 January 2019
- Interpunk Staff (2001), "Fairmont-Pretending Greatness Is Awaiting", Interpunk, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 21 February 2014
- Maximumrocknroll Staff (2003), "CD Releases", Maximumrocknroll (242), retrieved 27 January 2019
- Morse, Dana (2002), "Pretending Greatness is Awaiting", Punk Planet (51), p. 128, archived from the original on 18 March 2016
- Parciak, Brooke (2010), "How To Run a Record Label: An Interview With Neil Sabatino of Mint 400 Records", Jersey Beat, retrieved 25 January 2019
- Wien, Gary (2011), "#52 Fairmont", Are You Listening?, p. 113, ISBN 9780983685708
