Furry Things
Hedfones EP
(Trance Syndicate)
Sometimes, when I'm working along at my computer, there's nothing I like more than listening to a bit of droney, stripped-down space rock sort of stuff to keep me chugging along on the task at hand. When I first read that Furry Things were one of these outfits, I didn't really pay much attention to it, as there are tons of these sorts of groups out there, and some are marginal at best. When I read that a member of the very interesting electronic group Eight Frozen Modules was a member of the group, though, it piqued my interest.
First off, this disc is a pretty darn long length for an EP/single. At five tracks, it clocks in at nearly 45 minutes, and although some of the tracks do fall on the repetitive side, what space/drone rock doesn't? The album starts off with one of the best songs on the album, a nearly 12-minute track called "Piece No. 3 In C." After a bit of soft wind noise and a strange little repeating electronic gurgle, some softly thumping drums and plodding bass make there way into the mix. Slowly, but surely, very measured bits of guitar hum start weaving through the mix and building up the layers. Of course, the track never really picks up speed or changes much, and just keeps sweeping on through with these different combinations of subtle guitars, while every once in awhile the drums pick up and crash. The second track takes an even more electronic route with a minimal thud of a drum machine and all kinds of humming and static noise while squelches claw and fight their way to the forefront.
The group completely changes up things on the third track "Diskoteque" with a much faster beat and more driving rhythm section. The track even features some muffled female vocals and sounds somewhat out-of-place after the two instrumental first pieces. They move back to the instrumental sound again with the very dark and foreboding "Odd Shaped Silence." Also the shortest track on the disc, it grinds along with a fuzzed out bass and simple drums, while a hum of noise wails in and out over the metronomic pace. Things close out with "Buttercup," a strange, sort of fuzzy dub track that along with the first track shows off the groups more strong points.
Overall, it's kind of a hit-or-miss affair. The first and last tracks on the disc are very solid, flowing numbers that work something like a cross between Windy and Carl and Flying Saucer Attack, while the middle three tracks are more experimental and the one completely throws off the feel of the disc. Still, it's a lot of music, and reasonably priced, so they've got that going for them.
Rating: 5
