The first CD by Denton Texas' Mandarin is a mix of indie-rock that borders on being really creative, but doesn't quite have that spark to cross over into the next realm. Fast>Future>Present has a nice hypnotic feel to it. Soft-core songs like "When Heat Sleeps" and "How Long?" contain good loops that are catchy and creative. The vocals are handled by Jayson Wortham and fit the music nicely. The drone-rock is developed by the bassist Peter Salisbury.
Mandarin can turn up the heat a little, like with "Pilot Light", and play commercial, radio friendly hooks. But most of Fast>Future>Present kind of drones on and tries to paint larger scenes. The music begins to sound a little repetitive after the first half of the CD. Mandarin combine elements of bands like Luna Moth and Smashing Pumpkins.
Fast>Future>Present is an excellent debut CD, it's 48 minutes show good promise for a band that plans on touring quite often this summer. Playing some of these songs in a live environment should give them some insight into how to jazz things up a little to kill the repetitiveness of their sound. Mandarin may not be for most of our intricate prog fans or our hard core metal fans, but for the rest of us, that just like good song writing, this is a band that is worth keeping an eye out for.
Track Listing
1. When Heat Sleeps
2. Shadow Your Shadow
3. How Long?
4. Eye On Time
5. >>
6. Pilot Light
7. A Loss Not to Despair
8. The Beginning Hides the End
9. Holiday
10. Smother the Spark
11. Dim Lit Vow
12. Virus Smile
13. The Gift of Not Living
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