Face

Review: We have personally experienced the vocal power of Colorado-based, 7-man Face, who first began singing together in 2000, and first performed for the public in the summer of 2002--the year they won their first of three Audience Favorite awards at the Harmony Sweeps Rocky Mountain Regional. In Spring of 2005 they won the Regional and we saw them win Audience Favorite at the Harmony Sweeps National Finals, placing 2nd overall. 'Forward' is exactly that, a collection of 11 covers that announce to the a cappella world that Face is ready to join the elite. Beginning with Mark Broussard's driving 'Home,' Tonic's brooding 'If You Could Only See' and some amazing vocal sax, trumpet and keyboards on Mancini's 'Pink Panther Theme;' the great song selection continues with Counting Crows' bouncy 'Accidentally In Love,' the BeeGees' romantic anthem 'How Deep Is Your Love,' The Hoodoo Gurus' Adams Familyesque 'Dig It Up' and 'American Passion,' an incongruous medley of Bach's 'Erkenne Mich, Mein Huter' and Paul Simon's 'American Tune' which totally works. 'Forward' is an impressive collection that moves and touches us-great stuff!

Songlist: Home, If You Could Only See, Calling All Angels, Pink Panther Theme, Sugar, We're Goin' Down, Accidentally In Love, You & Me & the Bottle Makes Three Tonight, How Deep Is Your Love, It's Not The Crime, Dig It Up, American Passion

Review: One of our favorite Harmony Sweeps finalist groups (they placed second in both 2005 and 2007, winning Audience Favorite and Best Original Arrangement awards) we have followed the career of this multi-talented, all male sextet from Denver, CO. When NBC based their new hit show 'The Sing-Off' on the Harmony Sweepstakes, we were thrilled to see Face rise up to become Finalists, and although they didn't win it all, the group gained a huge new following and showed a new generation of viewers what we all have known for years, the tremendous power and attraction of a live a cappella! In their new CD 'Momentum' on their first cut, the dynamic 'O Fortuna,' arranged by group member Ben Lunstad, they include in parentheses that the song won Best Original Arrangement at the '07 National Harmony Sweeps Finals! There are 11 songs here, and it's clear that Face has ridden that success to turn themselves into one of a cappella's elite groups, with stellar arrangements by Lunstad and group members Ryan Driver and Stephen Ross. Listen to 'Boondocks,' Collins/Fagenson/Siebels' 'Promise,' Lennon/McCartney's 'Let It Be,' Griffiths/Orzabal's 'Break It Down Again,' Bicusse/Newley's sultry 'Feeling Good,' wonderful faux electric guitar on Cain/Perry/Schon's retro anthem 'Don't Stop Believing,' Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours,' Dean/Malloy/Mann/Taylor's 'Looking for a Place to Land, Colin Hay's 'Overkill,' and Gilmore/Moore's 'On the Turning Away,' and you're listening to the new Face of a cappella, standard-bearers of a growing a cappella Renaissance. Don't miss the apty titled 'Momentum!'

Songlist: O Fortuna, Boondocks, Promise, Let It Be, Break it Down Again, Feeling Good, Don't Stop Believing, I'm Yours, Looking For a Place to Land, Overkill, On the Turning Away

Review: We never forget a Face, especially having just savored the Boulder, CO's memorable performance at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps Finals in San Rafael and personally counted their winning votes for Audience Favorite (the judges also awarded them 2nd Place in a hugely talented field of 8 Regional winners). Face performed two of the 5 songs on this sampler CD at the Finals, a dramatic, soaring cover of Maroon 5's wonderful 'Harder to Breathe' and a big fun, rock-solid vocal-percussion cover of Men Without Hats' 80's Techno hit 'Safety Dance.' Cake's 'Short Skirt, Long Jacket' gets an appropriately manic, energetic treatment, and 'The River Runs Slow' is a flowing, rhythmic, harmonic treat. The final cut is a sweet, sexy arrrangement of Marvin Gaye's seduction anthem 'Sexual Healing.' 'Wake Up,' and Face's live performance, give notice that this hard-working, talented group is ready for the bigtime in the a cappella world!

Songlist: Harder to Breathe, Short Skirt, Long Jacket, The River Runs Slow, Safety Dance, Sexual Healing