Released: 4th October 2019
Rating: ★★★★
When not pounding the skins as drummer of pop-rock titans Paramore, Zac Farro leads a double-life as founder, frontman and fulcrum of HalfNoise. Having spent the past few years crisscrossing the globe in his day job, Farro is back to having fun on ‘Natural Disguise’, HalfNoise’s third full-length outing.
As ever the emphasis is on surf-rocking, maraca-shaking good-time jams, with Farro aiming for the authenticity of 60s and 70s rock. With a cast of revolving musicians, plenty of them filling in for Paramore now and then, Farro has always been the driving force, and he pushes himself creatively on final tracks ‘Beautiful Someone’ and ‘Daisy’, exploring more tender melodies and vulnerable lyrics. The instrumental still keeps that swinging 60s psychedelic groove, however.
There are few more assured ‘side projects’ around, and ‘Natural Disguise’ will only have enhanced Farro’s reputation as a creator while Paramore continue to lay low.
Dillon Eastoe
