Envy the West |
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No matter how many times I play Folding Fangs, as soon as Pim Durene’s vocals kick in during opener ‘My Generation’, the baritone-style voice always surprises me. It’s not so much a criticism as much as a cloud of confusion that takes over my brain whenever I push play. It’s just not what you’d expect, so stands out from a typical vocalist.
The song itself is the low-key opener to this Roosendaal outfit’s debut album and drifts along with the bonus of a gentle organ ringing during the chorus, until it eventually stumbles into a wave of danger midway, and picks up a stronger rhythm, showing that Envy the West aren’t as sleepy as they would let you first believe. Where Durene’s vocals really start to click is in ‘Judas’ Carriage’, though. The guitars and rhythms crawl and sway together like a snake, fitting the narrative of the vocals perfectly. It really is a lovely, yet understated piece of music, with a dark undertone and sound that befits comparisons to both Tindersticks and Nick Cave.
Envy the West are not so easy to pin down, though. ‘For Real’ is packed with energy and is a real eye opener as to the capabilities of their songwriting. It’s reminiscent of a younger Giant Sand when they still wanted to rock out with their guitars, and it really wakes the album up. ‘Blah Blah Universe’ too sits on an attention-grabbing beat, has some great chords, and uses really enjoyable melody changes that carry you through to the choruses. The band pulls off this pace of song wonderfully and although it doesn’t exactly fit into any current fashion, it would sound great on radio.
‘Half Seas Over’ and ‘Beneath the Waves’ sit at the bottom of the album. The former sounding like My Morning Jacket creating a version of ‘Country Feedback’, and what makes it special again is their selection of lovely progressions that take you through the different sections, leading you carefully by the hand. The latter song closes Folding Fangs with some additional delicate playing and a strong vocal performance both lyrically and melodically.
The secret gem of the album, though, is ‘The Letter’. Ironically it’s the simplest track in lyrical terms, only making use of four sentences, yet the combination of beautiful music and emotion combined with those few words is enough to tell such a vivid story. More importantly, the feelings it represents are captured in the sound, from sadness to frustration to anger and back to a more resolute calm. It should have resulted in a schizophrenic chaos, yet it all occurs in such a natural progression.
Altogether, Folding Fangs is a strong debut that deserves exploration. There’s no doubt that when they choose to rock it a bit heavier that the songs show more instant appeal, but they also have a strong grasp of the darker, subtle songwriting.
Steven McCarron
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