Alex G Harper/23 PR
If any other Fleetwood Mac or “Daisy Jones & The Six” fans have been on the prowl for a new and vibrant guy-girl, whimsically magnetic band to worship, The Favors may have answered the call with its debut album, “The Dream” that released Sept. 19. The Favors have carved an intriguing and electric introduction with warm vocals, thoughtful lyricism and instrumentals nostalgic of when music was written and created by authentic musicians.
This new band features two mononymous artists: FINNEAS — the Grammy award-winning music producer, singer and brother to Billie Eilish — and alternative pop singer Ashe, who has three solid studio albums and the viral Niall Horan collaboration, “Moral of the Story.” Alongside Ashe and FINNEAS come Ricky Gourmet on guitar and David Marinelli on drums.
The short intro track, “Restless Little Heart” is a stripped down, enchanting lullaby featuring the two lead voices, while the title track “The Dream” is a surprising and utterly satisfying proper introduction to what this band is really all about. “The Dream” is jazzy and the harmonies are haunting — the signature recipe the two leads are known to craft when collaborating. The pace accelerates leading up to the chorus with a choppy lyrical structure that perfectly contradicts the swinging verses. A reference to Venice in this track paints the backdrop for the auditory voyage that The Favors is captain of: a cinematic moonlit drive through the hills of California. This darker, more flirtatious moodboard is a thrilling change of pace from the more vibrant, summertime warm tones of Ashe’s solo albums.
With other songs on the album, however, sounds could also be reminiscent of a quiet stroll near the Hudson River with a friend, as the music video for “The Hudson” depicts. Or with the music video for “David’s Brother,” having drinks at a bar in a nondescript city with someone you cannot keep your eyes off of. The geographical anonymity and aesthetic allure the album brings to the table as a whole underscores the pure talent that this group emits. Irresistible vocals are painted on visual backdrops that are impossible not to picture as the album plays, and the variety secures a charm accessible to anyone.
This muddy jazz sound continues in “Ordinary People” with horns that decorate the perfectly whiney harmonies without drowning them out, thanks to FINNEAS’ unsurprising credit as the group’s producer.
Comparing The Favors’ sound to other artists is an unfair but somewhat necessary exercise that does not isolate it in a box, but rather contextualizes the intrigue of its sound.
The Favors’ first single, “The Little Mess You Made,” is a wonderful listen even in its now-familiarity with over 15 million streams compared to the group’s 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. As Ashe and FINNEAS converse with one another through song like a tennis match, The Favors somehow seamlessly balance pop music energy with the incomparable magnetism of vintage duos like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and even the fictional Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones.
The platonic chemistry in “Necessary Evils” is almost reminiscent of when Eilish and FINNEAS team up during live shows to sing, like their 2019 duet of Eilish’s “I Love you” at The Greek Theatre. This resemblance works to The Favors’ advantage, because this new sound is just different enough to solidify them as a talent in their own right while also pulling in a target audience.
The Favors is not going big just yet, but it is smart for doing so. They are gradually building a fanbase complimented by their individual pre-existing solo audiences and by the fans who know them from their previous collaborations since 2017, including their 2021 collaboration “Till Forever Falls Apart.” With that, The Favors should captivate interest and grow demand for more music and more live appearances, especially after publicity on The Today Show, The Howard Stern Show and a performance at the BST Hyde Park music festival. The Favors have a small but mighty tour lined up in Los Angeles, Morrison, Colorado, New York City and Austin, Texas.
“Lake George” is another great showcase of the group’s biggest strengths: complimentary voices and sincere arrangements. The piano has almost an immersive sound even when streamed digitally, as opposed to analog vinyl sound. Both lead singers may have a repertoire of borderline-alternative music, but they also fall into the category of pop — albeit not mainstream.
The catchy disco-sounding “Home Sweet Home” should have been earlier in the tracklist to mark the halfway point and juxtapose the more melodically-similar “The Hudson” and “Ordinary People.”
The depth of The Favors’ talent is put on display with “Someday I’ll Be Back in Hollywood” with Marinelli’s vocal feature. This track’s tone is complex, edgy and spiteful but also celebratory and proud. The California imagery is continued with lyrics like, “In Culver City, across from the courthouse / My mom lives with me, and I live with hеr for now.” The Favors may emulate a peaceful ’70s aura at times, but this last track proves they are not afraid to touch on deep concepts with an explicit flair. They conclude the album by singing, “F–– the meaning of life, what’s the meaning of death? / Why do I feel so alive having meaningless sex? / And, when I kill the lights, why do I feel like you know me?”
To have pop artists who can actually play instruments and arrange dynamic songs is a rare commodity these days. The music industry is experiencing a shortage of true bands who regularly perform together among a slew of solo artists who may not even write their songs, to which The Favors may inspire necessary change.