"we said I should give it time / but it's always on my mind / I'd rather go through hell again / than take back anything I said..."
The artful abrasive alt rock punch and frolic of "Starvin Heart" and "Fluung", by Seattle three piece Fluung and from their (4th) full length eponymous album, is deliciously heavy and potently drawn. I love three piece bands, always have and on this studio rendition the sound feels stripped down and not in need of any excessive added production (and not a synth within earshot, even though there is nothing wrong with that). The bass bottom here is ultra big with with a thickness that includes a midrange element, the guitar attack is overdriven in an upfront way, emphasis on overdriven as opposed to fuzzy, a direct sound that I like, not a lot of washiness to the sound and the drums kick hard, punchy as hell but, again, not a back of the room sound but upfront and personal. In this way, Fluung is giving us an in your face sound like you are at a small to medium venue with a waist high stage and are in the front row leaning in. The vocal performance also cuts through with nary a hint overplayed reverb or vocal distortion. Again, a pure, essentially LIVE sound which I love for this kind of sonic persona, genre.
As sonic touchstones I thought of a kind of amalgam of artists like Archers of Loaf, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr in terms of the honest bare bones rock barrage I am hearing. Oh and the lead break, tasty and heavy as can be with hints of glam even.
LINER NOTES:
[Fluung is a Seattle-based trio composed of Donald Wymer (guitar/vocals), Joe Holcomb (bass/vocals) and Drew Davis (drums/percussion). Despite only having three members, the band’s sound is full and loud, an all-encompassing sonic experience that nods to ‘90s guitar rock like Dinosaur Jr. while world-building and storytelling like classic rock artists such as Crazy Horse and Neil Young in a modern context. Fluung’s style of guitar rock captures the energy of modern American working life: the griminess and constant trudge of constantly working while reflecting the existential and introspective moments spent at home, in your car after clocking out, before you fall asleep at night.]
Rock on.
Note this from the boys:
Preorder our new album "Fluung" and get a copy of either "The Vine" or "Satellite Weather" on vinyl for half price.
Includes unlimited streaming of Fluung via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Includes unlimited streaming of Fluung via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz.
Tariff FREE by the way.
-Robb Donker Curtius
+ + +
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/fluungrocks
https://fluung.bandcamp.com/album/fluung
https://www.facebook.com/FLUUNG
Fluung’s style of guitar rock captures the energy of modern American working life: the griminess and constant trudge of constantly working while reflecting the existential and introspective moments spent at home, in your car after clocking out, before you fall asleep at night. The Vine begins with the insistent thudding of just the kick drum, an urgency propelling the first song “Hold On” into brilliant action. Prior releases by Fluung like the Big River EP in 2020 or 2019’s Satellite Weather were equally full of brilliant riffs, but The Vine, a potent energetic 2022 release. While hearty guitar solos still blossom in pockets between verses and choruses, these songs trade the patient meandering for more direct songs that are briefer in run time but still packed with catchy riffs and vocal melodies ripe for singalongs in a crowded room. The titular single “The Vine'' shows what makes Fluung so special. It’s a dynamic song with a richness on the low end, wistful melodies and a shredding guitar solo that’ll get stuck in your head all day. It’s the kind of song that you can submerge yourself in, listening to it just a bit too loud.
Fluung’s style of guitar rock captures the energy of modern American working life: the griminess and constant trudge of constantly working while reflecting the existential and introspective moments spent at home, in your car after clocking out, before you fall asleep at night. The Vine begins with the insistent thudding of just the kick drum, an urgency propelling the first song “Hold On” into brilliant action. Prior releases by Fluung like the Big River EP in 2020 or 2019’s Satellite Weather were equally full of brilliant riffs, but The Vine, a potent energetic 2022 release. While hearty guitar solos still blossom in pockets between verses and choruses, these songs trade the patient meandering for more direct songs that are briefer in run time but still packed with catchy riffs and vocal melodies ripe for singalongs in a crowded room. The titular single “The Vine'' shows what makes Fluung so special. It’s a dynamic song with a richness on the low end, wistful melodies and a shredding guitar solo that’ll get stuck in your head all day. It’s the kind of song that you can submerge yourself in, listening to it just a bit too loud.
No comments:
Post a Comment