Sunday, 17 August 2008

FOLK IMPLOSION – NATURAL ONE (LONDON)


FOLK IMPLOSION – NATURAL ONE (LONDON)

There was something about the Folk Implosion that made them seem like astronauts when this song made them “big”.  Shitty astronauts but astronauts all the same.  The music video was truly weird, the pair looked barely awake, unimpressed by the fact that people suddenly liked them.  Were these the grown up version of the kids from the movie of the same name?

It opens with oscillation followed by a snare sound clear as day before a bugging bass line steps in and never relents.  This could almost be a hip hop song.  Then Barlow drops in with his slack declaration as eventually Slint-esqe chimes serve to haunt to show.

And indeed I was something of a misfit, borderline space cadet when this single dropped.  The hollow alienation and unrequited rebellion suggested by the vocals in such a laidback lazy manner were really appealing.  This was the Grand Royal era and to be cool you just had to reference the right things.  You needed no end product, just to know where the good stuff was at.

Keeping with such unpredictable mentality the band follows with “Cabride”, a weird piece of micro jazz that expertly offers one soundscape from a certain corner on a summer day.  It exudes movement both physically and mentally.  Even with the pace switch it offers thump.

Resuming some kind of white geek lo-fi hip hop vibe the charging mantra of “Nothing Gonna Stop” offers a pulsing retort to the cynicism and sarcasm of the lead track.  It exists to make you move, to tap into what youthful energy remains attached to your being (which for me appears to be diminishing by the week).

Final track here is “Simean Groove” which is another trip hop type offering that replaces vocals with the sounds of wolves howling seemingly hungry and on the prowl.  As the music rolls in a straight line it is simple and very effective, the sound of an evil deflowering.  It’s a prelude to assault.

There is a time and place.

Thesaurus moment: bodeful.

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