Forest Fire - Staring At The X - Printable Version +- Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com) +-- Forum: Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Alternative (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11) +--- Thread: Forest Fire - Staring At The X (/showthread.php?tid=6103)

Forest Fire - Staring At The X - Music Head - 22-10-2011 shoegaze? not sure exactly what that is, but I found myself doing that by the time I got to the last track, so I thought it would qualify at least it was a relatively short album included track was the only one where they stepped it up a little, and I liked it. other than that, nothing I could get into 1.3 from the album - Future Shadows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm9SFKmO758 released Oct 18th, 2011 from all music Bio The members of alternative folk-rock group Forest Fire are stationed in Brooklyn, New York and Portland, Oregon. After releasing their first EP, Psychic Love Star, Mark Thresher, Nathan Delffs, Natalie Stormann, and Adam Spittler issued Survival, their debut full-length, in 2008 via Catbird Records; the label's founder, music blogger Ryan Catbird, downloaded the band's music on a whim and liked it so much he wanted to release it. For their second album, 2011's Staring at the X, the foursome opted for a much more ambitious approach, incorporating everything from Krautrock to Television-style punk into their sound. Album Review “My heart is anew,” sings Forest Fire's Mark Thresher on Staring at the X, and so is the band’s sound. Opening track “Born Into” shows just how much they’ve changed since the ramshackle yet heartfelt Americana of their first album, Survival: it’s smoky and sleek, driven by a Velvet Underground-inspired chug that sounds much more like their Brooklyn home base than anything they’ve done before. The changes don’t stop there: “Future Shadows”’ bright pop and “The News”’ strutting rock -- which continues 2011’s reign as Year of the Saxophone with a squealing solo -- are all a part of Forest Fire's breakneck (re)invention. It feels like they’ve channeled the looseness of their playing on Survival into a willingness to try anything once, and fortunately, most of their experiments stick. Indeed, one of Staring at the X's best moments is also the most radically different: “They Pray Execution Style” features bassist Natalie Stormann on vocals as the song morphs from slinky disco-punk into keyboard noodling. When Forest Fire return to more familiar territory on the title track and “Mtns Are Mtns,” they sound far more polished, and perhaps a bit less distinctive, than they used to. The album’s second half consists largely of back- to-back slow songs that drag a bit, suggesting that they need to work on varying their pacing as much as their sound. Nevertheless, Staring at the X shows just how much Forest Fire can do, and do well; where they go next is anyone’s guess. Track Listing 1. Born Into 2. Future Shadows 3. The News 4. They Pray Execution Style 5. Staring at the X 6. Blank Appeal 7. Mtns Are Mtns 8. Visions in Plastic