Sunday 21 December 2008

FOLK IMPLOSION – DARE TO BE SURPRISED (COMMUNION)


FOLK IMPLOSION – DARE TO BE SURPRISED (COMMUNION)

The Folk Implosion was a much underrated side project.  In some ways it can be seen as Lou Barlow’s Style Council, which would make Sebadoh his version of The Jam while God only knows what Weller’s version of Dinosaur Jr is.  And I don’t think that is too radical an opinion to hold being that both spin off bands still hold great songs akin to those of the main going concern, its just they now come laced and greased with a nice range of extras.

This is the second Folk Implosion album.  Released in 1997 it came post the notoriety that came with their contribution to the Kids soundtrack and just as the world was catching up with haunting scream of Slint, Folk Implosion seemed to suddenly drop that element in an effort to keep to their own agenda.  That said “Insinuation” maintains that type of measure in authoritative fashion still scaling former heights.

Dare To Be Surprised is perhaps one of the last great pop albums from the post-grunge era of US indie rock.  Balancing both the sonics and songwriting it’s a big achievement.

There is a cute urgency from the off as Barlow chisels a speedy vocal onto “Pole Position” before a tasty series of guitar noodles over a basic drum beat immediately adds an exciting pace to proceedings couple with a killer hook and chorus.

From here the record takes things at it’s own pace bubbling and percolating along in an angular motion.  And Barlow’s voice is perfect for such atmospherics as the wonderful drifts off in fantastic directions.

Dare To Be Surprised offers a satisfying amount of variety.  With “Checking In” the act is downright trip hop and mellow seriously channelling Barlow’s tender side while delivering a bassline that feels like being in the desert.  Nice rhyming scheme too, smooth.

Unsurprisingly a number of tracks do sound like Sebadoh including “That’s The Trick” which arrives with guitars that sound like moving furniture followed by a big of a shout to emphasise the chorus.  Then “Ball & Chain” serves up much the same offering in a grand, slow tempo pop song with a killer hook that would not have been out of place on Harmacy.

“Burning Paper” arrives as another sweet and tender expression of yearning similar to “Checking In” and then in typical lo-fi fashion the band promptly includes “(Blank Paper)” which sounds like an early instrumental demo working of the track.  Now that’s pretty slack.

Something that is noticeable is the manner in which the vocals/lyrics are delivered.  On tracks such as “Cold Night”, “Fall Into November” and “Barricade” they are almost nursery rhyme, even occasionally cheesy.  There is real sprite to this apparent found freedom.

The record closes with “River Devotion” which really does sound like the type of song you might hear during the closing credits or montage of an upbeat movie.  Ordinarily I might suggest that be a bad things but not this time.

This is a genuinely understated masterpiece worthy of rediscovery the next time you need some soul.

Thesaurus moment: score.

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