Number One Fan – Unreleased

Independent
Released: Dec. 7, 2007 and Nov. 22, 2008
This demo compilation of unreleased material was a long time coming for the few but faithful followers of the late Number One Fan. I think I first came across Number One Fan via purevolume.com back in college. I remember hearing the some “Come On” and just digging it. No one had told me about them, but I found their sound enjoyable and something that I would totally be in to. So I quickly purchased their debut album Compromises, and as we did back in the early two-thousands, I waited for the disc to come in the mail.

Number One Fan quickly became a favorite of mine because I felt like they were a familiar sound, but at the same time they were doing something different. I don’t feel like their sound was earth shattering, but the songs they were writing had good staying power and I had hoped more people would enjoy them as well. Apparently that wasn’t the case because the band later changed names and their sound and formed The Wildbirds. Though the band promised a second album, it never came and this unreleased, demo material was up for purchase back in 2007. From what I could find out, the band had some problems getting fans their unreleased CD’s back in 2007, but I’m assuming they made it right in the end? But as I was randomly thinking about Number One Fan the other day, I came across a free download of the unreleased album via their MySpace, which is exactly why I’m writing this review.

This unreleased album is a must download if you’re in to indie, midwest rock. This record has a fully mixed and mastered sound, and although the band calls it a “demo”, it’s far from it. The writing on this album perfectly coincides with their debut Compromises and really develops the writing that had begun on that first record. Why the band is even offering this as a free download is beyond me because I would’ve paid full price.

Some songs that really stand out to me are “I Just Want You to Know”, “Open Up Your Hands”, and “The City Comes Alive”. The song “I Just Want You To Know” is a mix of Ben Folds and Augustana and really captures the passion that Number One Fan had in their writing, and furthermore, could rival the current sound that Augustana is making money from. Piano driven, but with the soft-rock chorus and subtle “bah bah” background vocals it’s a great song for introducing yourself to the band that apparently never wanted to be. “Open Up Your Hands” on the other hand has the head bobbing, late night cafe feel that was also a big draw for me. A song about love, the chorus pleading “open up your hands and let me out”, it’s the right song from the right band. “The City Come Alive” is a memory for me of NOF’s original writing. Big drums, off-beat feel, and catchy melody, this is song from the band that could’ve gone places had they stuck with it.

Maybe it was the lame record industry, loss of profits from illegal downloads, or just loss of passion, but whatever turned these guys away from making more music is just unfortunate. Number One Fan, though their band name is also unfortunate, had a sound that I think really worked and I’m bummed that they couldn’t hang on. But I would like to say thanks to the band for making good music while they did and for being kind enough to give away these recordings to the people who would actually take the time to listen to them.

You can download the Unreleased album via this link for free [via their MySpace blog].
Purchase and download Compromises on Amazon.com or iTunes.
The official Number One Fan MySpace page is also still up.
Also, you can still download 2 tracks (“Come On” and “It’s Happening) on PureVolume.com.