We’re talking smoother arrangements, sleeker, sharper choruses, more emphasis on major chord hooks and blitzes.
Blitzen Trapper – Furr
www.konkurrent.nl http://www.subpop.com/
Incendiary are big fans of Blitzen Trapper. Their last LP (Wild Mountain Nation) was a belter, full of surprises rampant goofiness and messy choruses. This time around, the band have honed down their sound to create Furr; a full-on assault on the poppier end of the ‘market’. We’re talking smoother arrangements, sleeker, sharper choruses, more emphasis on major chord hooks and blitzes. This approach is great when it works; Gold for Bread and the title track are utterly magnificent; Furr’s a strange but fabulous tale of love and acceptance and turns on some beautiful flourishes.
Elsewhere things verge on mawkish, despite the positivity on show. This is especially so of tracks like Sleepy Time in the Western World and Fire + Fast Bullets; for some reason despite the strong similarities in approach to bands like Super Furry Animals (who I love) I just can’t warm to them. At times it strays into ELO territory, and to me that ain’t what I want to hear. This is true of songs like Saturday Nite which, despite its winsome feel just drifts along in a pleasant, over-polished haze.
The LP picks up right at the end with the beautiful Lady on the Water which is a love song and a half, believe me.
Shame. I still think, as band, they can kick up a gear though.
Words: Richard Foster