Gary Numan - 'The Fallen' EP Review

Tracklist:

1. It Will Lend Here

2. The Promise

3. If We Had Known

Last year Gary Numan released "Savage (Songs From A Broken World)", an album that took me by surprise. It was an excellent reintroduction to him for me as, like most, I'd lost track of him since his popular works in the eighties. The album, a semi conceptual piece of work, contained great songs and production and featured quite highly in my end of year playlist. His new EP "The Fallen" continues this dystopian theme with a set of new songs that could have easily fit on the previous album.

Opening song 'It Will End Here' carries the Arabic musical motifs from the album, something that's infused in all three songs on the EP. The title itself acts as a companion to 'And It All Began With You' from "Savage". There are soft synths that wash through the verses augmented by simple but effective drums on the chorus sections. Numan has an effortless vocal that sits easily at the forefront of the song, ringing haunting in my ears as I listen. He's invested himself so much into the song and the album's concept that you can't help but be drawn in.

'The Promise' swings like a well telegraphed punch and is the only song on the EP to contain anything sounding like a guitar. There's still the feel of belonging with the rest of the song's included here and on the album. It's crunching guitar marches through the song lifted by a choir like keyboard part. The third and final track is 'If We Had Known'. This song is a lot more sparse than the EP's opener but sits well with it. Again, it's synth and keyboard driven, the occasional piano and middle eastern sounding horns tie it musically and thematically to the the main album. The sound of rain at the start and closing of the song makes it sound like it could have been lifted immediately from either of the "Blade Runner" films, the percussion augmenting the song's rhythm in such a soothing and gentle way. It's the longer of the three songs on offer here but doesn't drag. In fact, it almost feels too short, as if there was something more to say, something that we'll never know that's lost to us.

The EP itself is a great addition to the album, acting as a closing coda to the concept presented to us with "Savage". It will be interesting to hear this grafted onto the main album after it's closing songs. It's a great excuse to listen to the album afresh as well as acting as a teaser to the forthcoming live album and tour he has scheduled this month. If your're curious as to where to start with Numan again, this is a great place to start.