Posted on: December 8, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

While it seemed for a few years that all the bands that were playing independent music with “The” opening up their names were those retro or dance punk bands that made it big, The Flesh break free of that categorization. The band opens up “Fire Tower” with “The Truant”, a track that reflects a very current brand of indie rock that uses hints of punk, rockabilly, goth, and rock music to fill the open spaces. The track is very catchy, energetic, and bouncy; barely cracking 2 minutes, individuals will know exactly who The Flesh are by the end of the track.

The band enters into “The Cradle, The Brothel, and the Bible School” with a slower tempo but do not relinquish the power they have over individuals listening in. There is still the same sort of compelling instrumentation that was present throughout the entirety of “The Truant”, while inserting more nuance and other pieces for listeners to pick up on. The inclusion of a more sixties sound to “Firetower” is perhaps the most interesting change-up that The Flesh do on “Fire Tower”. There is a funkiness that never completely disappears from the track, and the vocals present a smoothed-out counterpoint to the aforementioned funkiness. The band has only been through three tracks, and there are three different approaches taken. While it never seemed that the band was weak in any sense of the term during the opening section of “Fire Tower”, the chorus of “World to Come” shows the band reaching even higher.

The chorus would be one that is sung along to for months to come if individuals just would have the chance to listen to The Flesh; here’s to hoping that out of all of the tracks on “Fire Tower”, that “World to Come” screams up the charts. The entirety of the disc may never make it to the thirty minute mark, but the catchy, punk-infused (but ultimately rock-sounding) style of The Flesh will ensure that this disc can spin around listeners’ players for months to come. The Flesh provide a fresh view of rock music, and it will only be a matter of time before individuals see if what the band does is picked up by other contemporaneous bands. I can only hope that it is; The Flesh provide one of the most impressive rock albums in the last twelve months. Hear the pseudo-classical lines of “Justice” and be won over.

Top Tracks: Justice, In Paradise

Rating: 8.0/10

The Flesh – Fire Tower / 2006 Gern Blandsten / 11 Tracks / http://www.putontheflesh.com / http://www.gernblandsten.com / Reviewed 02 June 2007

[JMcQ]

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