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Falling Up fans, the times are changing. Those who heard the last release, Captiva, will not be
entirely surprised by this move. While still maintaining a hard rocking edge, Captiva was decidedly more airy and
mellow than the band's early work. New release Fangs takes Jessy Ribordy and friends further in this direction. Anyone
expecting something similar to Crashings or Dawn Escapes will probably be disappointed. Those who are ready to hear something
new will find an album that is pleasantly artistic.
To begin, Fangs is first and foremost a concept album. Every track is completely devoted to the story, and
nothing musically or lyrically separates any particular track from the overarching theme. What is the theme? In essence,
Fangs is a fantasy/science fiction story. Once, in a land similar to ours, the people discovered that their children
wore poisoned cloth, destined to kill them. So, the people tied all the threads together, attached them to a thousand golden
arrows, and launched these arrows towards the faraway planet Neptuenn. Then, thousands of years later, the people of the city
were horrified to awake one day and find all of their children had been struck by giant arrows. One thing lead to another, and a traveler
was sent to Neptuenn to find out who was responsible for this tragedy. This is the premise of Fangs.
The twelve tracks on Fangs presume to tell the story of this traveler and what he discovers about
Neptuenn and his own planet. The lyrics are full of poetic imagery and fairy tale descriptions. More than anything, they
perfectly accompany the atmosphere set by the music. Unfortunately, the actual circumstances of the story are not clear at all.
Ribordy's abstract poeticism is on full display here, and it is difficult to discern any solid facts about the story.
In some cases, the songs introduce new vocabulary and then provide a note with an explanation. For example, a "green lift,"
mentioned in "Streams Of Woe At Acheron" is "a way of abstracting poison from the skin." Even so, the listener should expect
some degree of confusion.
What about the music? For a practical comparison, the listener can expect the style of older tracks like "Captiva" and
"How They Made Cameras," but even more so. Clearly the music was written to reflect that sci-fi/fantasy atmosphere of the
story. There are lots of keyboards and ethereal sounds on display. Most of the tracks are fairly slow-paced and reflective.
The overall feel of the album is significantly mellower than previous releases. The only tracks featuring guitar work similar
to what we heard on older albums are "The Moon And Sixpence" and "Goddess Of The Dayspring," both of which are strong efforts.
This change is by no means a bad thing. While getting more reserved, Falling Up has become more melodic and sensitive. Tracks
like "Magician Reversed" and "A Colour Eoptian" will surely find you singing along after the first couple of listens.
Interestingly, "Panic And Geo-Primaries" recycles the chorus of "Arch To Archtilles" from Captiva. It took several
listens for this album to grow on me, but all in all, I find the music to be consistently excellent. It is definitely
different, but there is much to appreciate here.
Fangs is an experience more than anything. Deeply artistic, it has very few weak tracks. Songs like "Goddess
Of The Dayspring" are sure to please any fan, while old Falling Up fans will probably need some time to get used to this new
incarnation of the band. The story is appropriately fantastical, but unfortunately confusing. In conclusion, Fangs
represents a more mature, thoughtful Falling Up that is different, but excellent.
- Review date: 3/12/09, PReview date: 3/4/09, written by Timothy Estabrooks of Jesusfreakhideout.com
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I have to be honest here. I firmly believe that Falling Up has
consistently put out great tunes over the past five years and on
each new album, they has evolved with a sound that's increasingly
unique. The characteristic experimental electronic music combined with
lyrics that aren't often heard anywhere else always make for a great
listen. So, with Captiva barely a year-and-a-half old, the now three-piece band
releases Fangs.
Overall, Fangs is a much more mellow listen than recent Falling Up
material. You kind of get the feeling that Fangs would be a perfect
soundtrack to any science fiction movie. "The Moon & Sixpence"
delivers a little bit of the faster pace previously heard on
Crashings and Dawn Escapes, but songs like "Lotus & Langorous" and
"The Sidewinder Flux" are most unique. And that's just what makes the
band stand out – the very imaginative sound that is not heard
elsewhere. That being said, I am not in love with the robotic sound
that accompanies a couple of tracks, but that's as far as it goes with
the negative factors. The music is diverse, the lyrics are
meaningful, and the overall product is great.
- Kevin Hoskins
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Record Label: BEC Recordings
