Pop rock
Cyril Niccolai, whose interests range from cooking to the study of medicine and law, discovered yet another passion in music. The product of that passion is the debut album “Our Revolution” by The Fairchilds (Vertusent Music Group). This French singer/songwriter is inspired by everyone from Bon Jovi to U2, and incorporates modern influences such as Lifehouse, Coldplay, and the Goo Goo Dolls into his sonic palate. Niccolai wrote more than 200 songs to choose from and selected the top dozen to constitute his debut.
It doesn’t take too long before Niccolai’s songwriting philosophy is evident – he believes everything is linked, “a melody, a mood, some characters, a story... all interdependent”. Boosted by expert production from Jim Lowe (Stereophonics, Foo Fighters), the Fairchilds have delivered a hugely appealing modern pop rock release. Refreshingly, Niccolai strives to keep things positive both musically and lyrically: “My main goal is to distract people from their problems and my music therefore has to be optimistic."
“I Need You” kicks off the set - a tight rocking tune with just the right amount of punch, written about the historic election of President Obama. The track indicates that the Fairchilds mean business. Along similar lines, the title track speaks to his influences by incorporating themes from U2 with the arena rock sound of Bon Jovi. The next series of songs, which includes the first single “Unbreakable”, emphasize Niccolai’s introspective lyrics and thoughtfulness. His knack for wrapping reflective lyrics within catchy melodies is perhaps no better demonstrated than on “Story Of My Life”, which is my favorite song on the record. Defying the label of one-trick pony, “Body of Lies” and “My Name” sound a lot like something Puddle Of Mudd would do, yet I can imagine a pop country artist like Tim McGraw performing “Life Is Beautiful”. Fairchilds refuses to run out of steam as the album closes, crossing the finish line strong with the crunchy pep of “Song 12” before relaxing a bit with the majestic ballad, “Turn Back Time”.
“Our Revolution” is available now on iTUNES and at Amazon. Easily one of the best pop rock releases of 2012. Given that he has 188 “leftover” songs, I hope it isn’t too long before we get another Fairchilds record!
Fairchilds – Official site.
Check out the video for “Unbreakable”
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