Friday, June 12, 2009

REVIEW: Sunken Foal - Fallen Arches

8 out of 10

I'd like to think that somewhere out there is a mystical forest with entrancing beauty and conjuring powers, and in said forest lays one of the best concerts you'll ever attend. Every artist performing must play music that is extremely cohesive towards the forests' environment. However, there will be that one guy/gal that thinks "outside the forest" and will mix the outside mundane/overly renovated world (where you are now) with the lush and majestic (where you wish you were) together perfectly.

Enter: "Fallen Arches", Duncan Murphy's (Sunken Foal) debut full length album. It came out last year (2008) on Planet Mu records and Mr. Murphy did exactly what I love, he innovated his own style, which is a combination of organic meets electronic. "Fallen Arches" starts off with relaxing acoustic guitar pluckings looped over classical piano sounds and distorted vocals that when placed together bring to mind Epic45. The more the laid back/warm-feeling acoustics continue the more the twinkly/Jazz-like piano sounds, panoramic electronic fuzz samples, and benumbed/un-humanized male vocals distorted by reverb and chorus/flange begin to take over. For the most part all of the tracks have an "electronic" vibe to them, but really, there are more unplugged instruments than there are ones with plugs.

Modern, but not too modern, innovative (definitely innovative), warm, integral, organic and down right remarkable. Sunken Foal fuses elements of electronic genius with acoustic/folkloric glory, and classical whimsy without any complications. RECOMMENDED for frosty mornings, cool & breezy midnight hangouts on the porch, and for any of those moments where you finally get to catch your breathe and relax.

Standout Tracks: Dutch Elm, Cash Poor, A Bear In The Hermitage (has an Aphex Twin vibe), Pumpy McGee, Foathing, On Platinum Rays (this is the Benoit Pioulard song I was always looking for), The Rotunda, Rikkic (my favorite track), Triplehorn

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