The.Story.Of
"Foothill Highway Appalachian Road" CDEP
Leroy
Godspeed
Genres: indie pop, indie rock
July 18 - 24 2005 |
I didn't really like The.Story.Of's last record, Trust In
Amanita, so I wasn't quite sure how to approach the cryptically
titled Foothill Highway Appalachian Road. Fortunately, this
disc reveals a band very much improved from their previous outing. Foothill's
songs aren't traditional pop songs - they boast dozens of influences
(including folk, electronica, pop, prog rock, and more); as well,
instead of finding a groove and sticking with it, each song is like a
growing, changing thing, going through many different styles and
melodies. I particularly enjoy "Ergots of Rye," which has a
sweet but carefree melody and a rolling, constantly evolving song
structure. Quiet/loud and slow/fast contrasts are present in droves,
though not in the context of boring, long-winded exercises in
self-satisfying art-rock. Even at their most unconventional, The.Story.Of
keep things fun and melodic - sometimes the songs drag on too
long, losing their identity, though the loads of pop hooks seem to
make up for that. Their use of keyboards often makes them sound like Ozma
and The Flashing Lights, but a more drawn-out, varied sound
carries them a bit farther from pure pop music. Neat stuff.
82%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
5 tracks, distributed by the
band, released 2005] |
