Aura

Aura is the sixth album, drawing the appeal of Fair Warning's refined melodic rock with settled intensity. Released in 2009, again self-produced by the four-piece. It was recorded in the halls of an old manor house, and that atmosphere shows in the sound; as with the previous record made at a friend's villa, the band has long favored unusual recording locations. Lyrical guitar phrases and transparent singing give the songs an elegant expanse. Helge Engelke is the songwriting center. What's striking is that rather than pushing through with flash, it values the space in melody and arrangement. It opens with the racing “Fighting for Your Love” and “Here Comes the Heartache,” while ballads like “Hey Girl,” “Holding On” and “It Takes More” form the record's center of gravity. Through the funky “Station to Station” to the closing “Falling Reprise,” the beauty of the details emerges the more you listen. Calmer than the previous album, with ballads weighing heavily. That year they also played a Japanese festival for the first time — a classy, sure record.