From Cardiff comes the debut solo project from firewheelbomb, and experimental solo project.
With a spacious and cinematic opening the instrumental “Doggone” eases you into “Square Peg…”. But that journey is a little short lived, as the album takes many turns before its conclusion.
“Get Out Much?” is a darker track, that ups the tempo fusing percussion and synth, and then mid way what seems like a barrage of guitar, and almost a punk vocal shouted out. Whereas the fragile vocal and accompanying piano on “Francis” is more than just a tad haunting – and then completely throws you left field with “Carry on Carrie”, opening with it of kilter rhythm, then moving into a driving distorted guitar work, whilst fading into what I assume is sequencer and drum synth.
With firewheelbombfire describing the album “…is shaped by rock, electronic, stoner, ambient and metal influences.”. With what sounds like hints of Aphex Twin, Coil, and possible even The Editors.
From here on the album remains haunting, dancing between the weird, and the weirder, taking you on an almost alien journey. The pinnacle of obscurity being “Pissing Guilt” with it’s (and I’m guessing here) cutlery percussion, and distorted bass rhythm. Again, the haunting vocals, almost dreamlike, just add the the effect. This all makes way for “Polypoly” and acoustic guitar led piece that is gentle in its strumming, and what sounds like whistling, and violin, make for an interesting listen. With a dark reticence that cinematically makes you feel you are at the aftermath of something truly sad.
Closing with “It Ran and Ran and Ran” – well you will have to just listen to that yourself.
The album reminds me of some of the early, and obscure, industrial music – whose ethic was almost to produce a non-commercial sound from anything at hand, be it instruments or any object to hand (Depeche Mode tend use only sounds they have sampled or crafted, Einsturzende Neubauten had a track which I think had someone in an air conditioning duct with a hammer banging away!). It is this DIY ethic that makes the album stand out. The album is not rough, or violent, as you would expect from the industrial comparison, but has a well considered raw edge to it. In fact, to be completely contradictory, it has a well produced rawness to it.
The album was produced on zero budget, and was 100% DIY, to quote; “Zero budget, 100% DIY, and conceived from a pro-album / anti-single perspective, it was written and home-recorded in the exact chronological order of its track-listing, in just under two months, around the 9-5. Making minimal use of samples, it instead relies on home-made kit (cymbals / snares / percussion / guitar), borrowed instruments (piano / stylophone) and other noise-enabling bits and pieces found around the home (kitchen utensils / plates / cats).”
I could draw some obscure comparisons marrying up different genres and artists- but I won’t. The fact this is unique, well crafted, and totally DIY just adds to the whole package. If you like something a little different, unique, something that would scare Simon Cowell, then this is for you. Step away from the mainstream, open your ears, put on your headphones and just experience it.
The album was released on May 1st, and can be purchased fromSoundCloud.
Tracks
Doggone
Get Out Much?
Francis
Carry On Carrie
Telephone Voice (On/Off)
Trodite
Pissing Guilt
Polypoly
September
It Ran and Ran and Ran
Links
https://www.facebook.com/firewheelbombfire
https://soundcloud.com/firewheelbombfire/
Words by Jon.
(no cats were hurt in the recording of the album, but a few plates were dropped in the writing of the review)
(bloody cats)
