Can't Keep a Secret (stylized can'T keEp A SecrEt) is the second studio album by Canadian pop punk band Faber Drive, released on November 10, 2009. The first single released from this album was "G-Get Up and Dance". It reached number six on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. Its second single, "Give Him Up", was released on November 30, 2009, and peaked at number 26 on the Canadian Hot 100. Its third single, "You and I Tonight", peaked at number 49. A fourth single, "The Payoff", failed to chart.
After releasing their debut album Seven Second Surgery in 2007, the band shifted their sound from pop punk to electropop, a decision that was "not intentional," according to singer Dave Faber.[2] During this time, original drummer Ray Bull and original guitarist David Hinsley left the band to pursue different life interests, leaving Faber and bassist Jeremy Liddle as the sole members.[2] The two started wrote the song "G-Get Up and Dance" while looking for new members.[2] It was originally going to be released under a different project as it featured a dance music sound, however, their label and management "loved" the song and wanted it on a Faber Drive album.[3]
The band also had more control with the songwriting and producing on the album. On their first album, they worked with producer Brian Howes, who helped co-write a lot of the songs on the album, along with Chad Kroeger.[4] On Can't Keep a Secret, the band wanted to be more involved with the songwriting process as Faber stated, "we were just really focused on making the songs as good as we could. Songwriting is the most important thing for us, so to make the songs stand the test of time is the biggest thing."[4]
Musically, the album is a blend of electropop and pop rock, highlighting different stylistic points.[4] Inspired by Def Leppard, they wanted the record "to be the best that it can be and that means always evolving."[5] The group also worked Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench, who co-wrote "Give Him Up".[3] The album's eleventh and last track "By Your Side", was written about Faber's dad, who passed away from lung cancer,[2] which Faber said of the song, "it’s powerful how much of an impact one person can have on somebody’s life and that’s what the song is about."[3]
Release and promotion
In late 2008, the band started releasing material from the album, releasing a demo for "By Your Side".[6] On July 21, 2009, they released "G-Get Up and Dance" as the album's lead single.[7] The album's second single, "Give Him Up" was released on December 15, 2009.[8] Its third single "You and I Tonight" was released for radio airplay on March 25, 2010, before it was released for digital download on April 27.[9] The album's fourth single, "The Payoff", was released on October 14, along with its music video.[10]
AllMusic writer Matthew Chisling praised the new dance-rock approach the band took on the record but was skeptical of their ability to find their own sound and just use the most popular genres instead. He concluded that a track like the Jessie Farrell duet "I'll Be There" "suggest that just because Faber Drive are playing to the sounds of the times doesn't mean they can't produce terrific music that is always funky and fun, if not spectacularly unique."[1] Johan Wippsson from Melodic also gave note of the use of synthesizers throughout the album, but felt that it sounds like two separate bands occupying the same record, with only half of the tracks utilizing said instrument. He concluded that "there's some nice songs here like on the debut and if you're into lightweight modern rock Can't Keep a Secret is worth checking up."[12]
123Can't Keep a Secret (booklet). Faber Drive. 604. Universal Music Canada. 2009. 25396 01132.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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