That’s My Jam is a weekly feature where one person from the Selective Hearing staff goes to wax poetic about music that is pivotal to their musical tastes. Whether that would be an album, a song, or anything in-between. We all had to start somewhere.
Release Date: April 8, 1996
Track Listing
- Reverence
- Don’t Leave feat. Pauline Taylor
- Salva Mea
- If Loving Is You Is Wrong
- Angeline
- Insomnia
- Dirty Ol’ Man
- Flowerstand Man feat. Dido
- Baseball Cap
- Drifting Away feat. Penny Shaw
Review
Faithless was a British Electronica band active from 1995 – 2010. Consisting of vocalist Maxi Jazz and producers/songwriters Sister Bliss and Rollo. They are best known for their dance songs such as Insomnia, God Is A DJ, and We Come 1.
Reverence is their debut album, released in 1996, and it contains several of their most famous songs, such as Don’t Leave, Salva Mea and Insomnia, and it peaked at #26 on the UK charts.
Faithless is not exactly the mainstream of groups. They were largely ignored in the UK until this album was released.
Reverence has a unique blend of many sounds covering the spectrum of House, Blues, Soul, Hip-Hop and Folk music. Combine that with the Buddhist inspired, socially conscious lyrics of lead vocalist Maxi Jazz, and you have something special.
It does take a set of open ears (and an open mind) to appreciate Faithless fully. Those expecting senseless four-on-the-floor bangers can check out right now because those are few and far between on Reverence.
Many tracks are more apt for a chill-out room or an after-hours lounge than the dance floor. Yet I think many of this album’s songs are perfectly mainstream-friendly. Well, maybe, except If Lovin’ You Is Wrong, that’s just a straight-up sex track more appropriate for private listening.
If you are willing to take a dive into this group, you can start with their singles, but it’s better to go off the beaten path and give songs like Angeline, Dirty Ol’ Man, Flowerstand Man (featuring a then unknown Dido) and Drifting Away a shot first.
While those songs are not typical of what made Faithless more noticeable to the general public, I believe they are more representative of who they are as a group. Reverance may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can get past any preconceived notions of Electronica, you may have will find a rather brilliant example of the genre at its best.
