What happens when an indie-rock band regroups and decides to make a folk record? You get the confluences of song styles and acoustic multi-instrumental playing on Fire on Fire’s The Orchard. Roma fiddles, blue-grass banjos, harmonium, mandolins harmonized folk vocals make up the eclectic sound. Three members used to be in Cerberus Shoal. The album is only available online at Michael Gira’s label (Swans) younggodrecords.com or through online downloads (e.g. not in record stores). I have a hard time picking favorites, so play any and all of the tracks.
Fun Fact: The members all lives together in a big blue house in S. Portland, ME across from green oil tank #28.
All FCC clean.
***1. (5:10) Group sung chorus over Balkan rhythms.
**2. (4:31) Banjo and harmonium mid-tempo melodious song with males lead vocals.
***3. (6:15) Sweetly sung song with dark lyrics ala Neutral Milk Hotel.
4. (4:07) Slow paced banjo picking with tenor male vocals and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? choruses.
* 5. (5:28) Slow and simple melody on guitar adds acoustic accompaniment and one voice after another.
6. (3:31) Upbeat number with humming chorus and strong harmonium backing.
***7. (6:12) Picked melody line and folk-blues rhythm give way to heavy chess puns choruses.
*8. (4:13) Of course, “Squeeze Box” features the harmonium along with honey-dripped female vocals.
9. (4:24) Group sung track with down-tempo instrumentation.
**10. (5:03) Slow driving rhythm with beautiful harmonizing. Like a mixed-gender Fleet Foxes.
11. (4:44) Mournful male vocals belt out over slowly pumped harmonium and quickly strummed mandolin.
12. (8:37) Hypnotizing slow drone of strummed upright bass and percussion with high and lofty female vocals. Halfway through it, a baby cries.