Posted: November 1st, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: September 27, 2008
	Faktion is: Aaron Pose (Vocals) Marshal Dutton (Guitar) Josh Franklin (Guitar) Jermey Coan (Bass) Jeremy Moore (Drums)

Overview: Before the Romo and Simpson tabloid tandem ever touched down in Dallas, there was Faktion. And while Tony and Jess were basking on Caribbean beaches like chickens of the sea, Faktion was grinding away, changing, growing, evolving. Rewind to late 2005/early 2006, and the band was glowing in glory. A new found relationship with Roadrunner Records was formed, a full length record was recorded with Brett Hestla, and the campaign for its first single "Take It All Away" was alive and well; oh, not to mention the group’s first national road trip would be supporting Hinder on the Girls Gone Wild Tour. However sadly for Faktion the stars did not align as hoped, and only months after the disc’s release the boys severed ties with Roadrunner Records. Deciding to keep the train running, Faktion soldiered on, until frontman Ryan Gibbs bowed out of the group in early 2007. The remaining four only saw this as a slight bump in the road, and began auditioning vocalists for the vacant position. After whittling it down to two, Faktion called upon Aaron Pose to be their American Idol. The band got down to business, feverishly writing and bonding with their newest addition, who made his recorded debut with Faktion on the band’s early 2008 EP ‘Ignite What’s Inside’. It’s been eight months since then, and although T-Ro and the underachieving Cowboys have rattled the bones of Jerry Jones, Faktion have unleashed a brand new offering entitled ‘Crash Ashore ‘. This latest work of Faktion can be streamed right here on TuneLab Music!

The Good: Faktion crash ashore like a tidal with the waves of this new EP. The ambient opening pattern of "Face Me" insinuates a more intrepid, more seasoned Faktion, and the band deliver truth to this thesis. Expansive and giddy with harmony, "Face Me" sees Aaron Pose gelling flawlessly with the Faktion vets, giving the song an enthusiastic kick in the ass. "Let Me In" is like the older, hotter, and more experienced sister of Faktion oldie "Six O’Clock", letting in myriads of summery radiance and sparkling twinkle. The dynamics of drummer Jeremy Moore carry "Let Me In" to another level. His shakin’ hi-hats give the early stages of the song some flavor and zest, while his use of a full-bodied crash cymbal in the latter part helps flex some muscle and provides a more satisfying, thorough sense of closure to the tune. The impassioned and organic "My Insanity" is a straight-jacket worth wearing, painted with colorful attention to detail. Pose is the real highlight of "My Insanity", as he takes this flower from bud to blossom with grace and maturity. "Losing Sleep" is the brainiac of ‘Crash Ashore ‘, a studious and epic telling tale that boasts a Marshal Dutton guitar solo that will certainly awaken your senses. The sassy and sizzling "Pressure" rocks the boat with a 6/8 rumble, closing out the EP with bold and refreshing poise. Aaron Pose transforms himself on "Pressure", using its driving and consistent landscape to go from lead singer to leader. ‘Crash Ashore ‘ might be a new Faktion, but this growth is a healthy one.

The Bad: ‘Crash Ashore ‘ hits a few low tides. To me, the pre-chorus of "My Insanity" is hookier and more engaging than its actual chorus, hurting the desired effect of what potentially could be one of the band’s strongest choruses to date. On "Pressure", the extreme similarities to Breaking Benjamin’s song "Natural Life", or just Breaking Benjamin in general cannot be ignored. The song is also littered with synthetic "hey!" chants, which makes this song sound much too cheesy. "Losing Sleep" might be the most tragic downfall of ‘Crash Ashore ‘. After steaming up the song with a brooding, haunting introduction, Faktion drearily fall into the transition at 1:29, where a forceful and explosive front foot forward would have been a more effective step. Almost all of the real action of "Losing Sleep" unfolds at the very last minute, arriving almost too late to really make a difference. Overall, "Losing Sleep" has all the right layers to be something special, however they seem to be dressed in the wrong order.

Bottomline: I haven’t taken a good listen to any of Faktion’s material with Aaron Pose on vocals up until I purchased ‘Crash Ashore ‘, and I’m glad I finally got with the program. Pose strikes me as a poor man’s Myles Kennedy, gifting this EP with a generous chunk of ‘Blackbird ‘ era Alter Bridge influence that you won’t want to miss; and believe me, I’d rather be pennies to Kennedy than Grants and Franklins to a majority of other rock singers out there. Despite its faults, ‘Crash Ashore ‘ packs a natural flow, a more noticeable depth and groove from Faktion than the band had with Ryan at the helm, and that makes for an intriguing listen in itself. If you’ve written off Faktion the way ESPN has written off the Cowboys’ season, get your eraser out, because the band more alive than they’ve ever been.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10