Charles Fauna - Yonder (2020)

Yonder, the cinematic new album from Charles Fauna is so much more than a piece of music.Yonder could easily be described as a concept album, as it follows the journey of a young protagonist who escapes selfish excessiveness and gluttony of humanity by stealing a small spaceship to find a more forward-thinking utopia, only to later discover that community, love and all of its faults were what made humanity beautiful to begin with, but these twelve episodic songs are so much more than that. Not only does Yonder carry a powerful message, but with these songs, Charles Fauna has encouraged listeners to do some soul searching outside of just listening to them, as well. For instance, surrounding the release of "Listen" Fauna partnered with DuJour to ask children, "one thing they wished people knew about them." The message behind the album is already a powerful one, but coupled with the twelve stunning songs that Charles Fauna uses to tell the story, Yonder not only promises to be one of the best releases of 2020, but it also reminds listeners that every voice matters.

Opening Yonder is the dreamy, cinematic intro, “Over Yonder,” which introduces the album’s story to listeners with a full-fledged narration, which leads into the anthemic, “Apollo.” Carried by deep bass, ethereal instrumentals and stunning vocals, “Apollo” perfectly embodies the feeling of longing that the story’s main character feels in the repeated line, “We don’t belong here anymore.” Then comes “Listen,” which inspires hope and reminds listeners that every voice matters in lines like, “You’ve got a million best friends / You don’t see them,” and “Come find me and I will listen / Whatever’s bothering you / I will listen.”

From a musical aspect, one of the best things about Yonder is the fact that it contains absolutely no filler tracks. Even the interludes further the story, making each song equally important, and no two songs sound the same. While “Apollo” and “Listen” are incredibly dreamy, “Mars” takes on a darker, more synth driven sound, leading perfectly into the powerful, bass-heavy “Kerosene.” Then, comes the stunning middle track, “The Divine,” which sounds absolutely nothing like the songs that come before it. Lyrically, “The Divine” is one of the album’s most powerful songs, as well, about searching for something bigger than oneself and trying to be better.

The second half of the album becomes very introspective as the story comes to a close, with “One Foot First” posing the question, “What do you believe in?” and “A Total Dream” taking us back to “Apollo,” with the protagonist questioning everything again. Some of the strongest songs on the album come near its end, as well. “Always You” and the following song, “Church” specifically urge listeners to look inward and realize that they have greatness inside of them.

Yonder is a fantastic album because there’s something new to take away from it upon each listen. Whether is the spectacular, futuristic songwriting, the cinematic storytelling, underlying messages of self-love, community and compassion or something else entirely, it won’t be hard for listeners to connect with this album in one way or another. Add Charles Fauna’s desire to make a change with Yonder, and it’s impossible not to feel inspired by the time the album comes to an end.