Seven Second Surgery


Seven Second Surgery is the debut studio album by Canadian pop punk band Faber Drive. It was released on May 1, 2007, under 604 Records. The songs "24 Story Love Affair" and "Sex and Love" from the band's EP Faber were also added to the album. Seven Second Surgery garnered positive reviews from critics, who praised the production and the band's musicianship but questioned their longevity in an oversaturated market. The album spawned four singles: "Second Chance", "Tongue Tied", "When I'm with You", and "Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go)".

Background and recording

In early 2006, the band released their debut Faber EP. The EP includes three tracks: "Sex and Love," "24 Story Love Affair," and "Cementhead". Later that year, they were signed by Chad Kroeger to his label 604 Records in May. Soon after, the group started working with Joey Moi for pre-production and Brian Howes for songwriting.

Release and promotion

The album's lead single "Second Chance" was released on February 1, 2007, in Canada. The song premiered via Melodic.net on March 20, before it was officially released elsewhere on March 27. After releasing the lead single, the band announced that their debut album Seven Second Surgery, would be released in the spring of 2007. "Tongue Tied" was released in August 2007, as the second single from the album. The third single "When I'm with You" was released in January 2008. Its fourth single "Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go)", featuring Brian Melo, was released on July 29, 2008.
In support of the album, the group embarked on a tour in March 2008, and were joined by Hello Operator. They also toured with Brian Melo and Marianas Trench. From August to September, the band supported Simple Plan on their Canadian tour, along with Metro Station and Cute Is What We Aim For.

Critical reception

Seven Second Surgery received positive reviews from music critics praising the production and musicianship from both the producers and the band but were unsure of how the latter would last long-term. Jo-Ann Greene of AllMusic gave high praise to the album's well-crafted production and the band's musicianship for paying nods to their musical influences while delivering them with tenacious energy, concluding with, "Powerful playing, strong melodies, irrepressible choruses, and a stunning sound belie this album's title – with no quick fix to be found, this set was lovingly operated on over time and built to last." A writer from Alternative Addiction also gave praise to the production and lyrical work of Brian Howes mixing well with the band in a pop punk environment, despite some surface-only lyrics and stale genre material towards the end, calling the album "a sensational collection of bubble gum pop tunes that become instantly embedded in the brain, however band longevity means song longevity and with the next album the band should look to evolve into something a little less instant and with a clear plan to leave a longer lasting taste on the aural palate."
A writer from TuneLab praised the album's collection of pop rock lyrics with various emotions being delivered by a capable and talented band but felt the material was more Kroeger and Howes with the band included and it was interchangeable with other similar albums, concluding that "Seven Second Surgery may not be groundbreaking, earth shattering, or for that matter original, but it is not a shitty album on the whole. In order to enjoy the album, one must bury the fact that this is stereotypical radio rock and just enjoy the album for what it is-fun, upbeat, catchy, and a quick fix." Chris Fallon of AbsolutePunk commended the band's effort to deliver upbeat and catchy pop punk material but found the lyrics generic and the catchability in the hooks and melodies lacking in staying power like the rest of the album, concluding that, "We all enjoy candy every now and then, and that is exactly what Faber Drive's Seven Second Surgery is: a roll of Shock Tarts that leaves your tastebuds on high-alert and keeps your mind buzzing, but eventually, drains you and leaves you feeling vacant."
The album's first three singles, "Second Chance", "Tongue Tied" and "Give Him Up" reached the top 30 on the Canadian Hot 100. The first two singles were also certified Gold by Music Canada. "Second Chance" won the group Best New Hot Adult Contemporary Group of the Year, as well as a nomination for New Solo Artist of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Radio Music Awards.

Track listing

;Bonus track
  1. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight"
Found in limited quantities of the album with free Faber Drive Tunecardz featuring this song.

Personnel

Adapted from the Seven Second Surgery media notes.
;Faber Drive
  • Dave Faber – lead vocals, guitar
  • David Joshua Hinsley – guitar, backing vocals
  • Jeremy 'Krikit' Liddle – bass, backing vocals
  • Raymond 'Red' Bull – drums, backing vocals
;Additional musicians
;Production
  • Brian Howes – producer
  • Joey Moi – producer, engineering, mixing
  • Scott Cooke – assistant, digital editing
  • Jay Van Poederooyen – digital editing
  • Ryan Anderson, Alex Aligizakis – additional editing and assisting
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Jaclyn Roste – runner
  • Chad Kroeger – additional production
;Miscellaneous
  • Sandy Brummels – creative director
  • Christopher Kornmann – art direction & design
  • Doug Cunningham – cover illustration
  • Marina Chavez – photography
  • Jon Minson – logo
  • Paul and Isabelle – styling