Portland’s mutant-bubblegum-low-fi-stoner-indie-garage-rockers White Fang are releasing their new album ‘Full Time Freaks’ on 28th April.
We had an early listen:
The album begins with the sludgy short and stubby ‘Gonna Get It’ and this leads neatly to ‘Shut Up’ with heartbeat rhythms and throbbing bass notes that are coated in dark stains – this whole piece is like a blooded handkerchief. This is a song about the idiocy of the hard-drunk man and his swaying over-confident bragging.
‘Doin’ The Dam Thing’ is a mud -wrap of oily, fatty lyrics, then ‘Goodbye To Bedtime’ has a seventies punk feel. This is stocky and sturdy – but full of beans.
‘Talkin’ To The Apple’ is much more articulate – chattering guitars climb wearily until they resonate – this is the musical equivalent of a lava lamp. Then we reach ‘Waste My Time’ which is pointed and disjointed. This is sepia tinted juke-box fuel.
‘High On Life’ is like re-visiting the The Byrds circa 1964. This song is exciting and effective. The album finishes with “Before I Pass Out” – a hymn to oneself – directed to a loosely defined friend – as the narrator falls gradually into the poisoned arms of yet another alcohol induced coma.
And that’s what the songs on ‘Full Time Freaks’ seem be all about; That state of ignorance / knowledge that is caused by alcohol addiction – and the state of abandonment suffered thereafter.
This is nice and solid. But keep a bunch of aspirin and an ice- pack nearby. Just in case…
– © Neil Mach March 2014 –
Link:
RAW RAMP 