Album
Type:
Album
Date
Released:
13th
October 2014
Label:
Zeal Records
Faux
Paw – Track Listing
Teenage hospital
Undo the redo's
Little big one
Somewhere
Nightstreet
Ocean sea water
Curly
Eastern sabbath
Snow
Because
Cotton sheep
Bio
Future
Old People Are Wizards, sometimes also shortened to FOPAW, is a band
from Gent with Stijn Vanmarsenille (Drums Are For Parades, Maya's
Moving Castle and Waldorf) on guitar and vocals. Nele De Gussem
(Maya's Moving Castle,…) takes on the bass, but instead of going
for the classic bass guitar, the bass sounds are created by some
brutal synths. Responsibility for the drum lines lies with Piet
Dierickx (Animal Muppet whom you may have seen in action with Drums
Are For Parades, Monsoon and Soulwax).
Members
Stijn Vanmarsenille
(vox, guitar, synths)
Nele De Gussem
(keys, vox)
Piet Dierickx
(drums)
Review:
Future
Old People Are Wizards is a suitably odd name for this beguiling trio
from Gent, Belgium. “Faux Paw” is their debut full length but you
would be forgiven for thinking that this was the work of a band at
the height of their powers. The bewildering number of ideas and
styles on display here is more than most bands cover in an entire
career. However, it’s to FOPAW’s credit that they are not weighed
down by this abundance of inspiration but instead meld it into a
surprisingly cohesive whole.
Opener
“Teenage Hospital” manages to traverse a diverse number of styles
and tempos during its 4 minute duration; eerie Faith No More
keyboards, spiky guitar leads, crushing Melvins riffage, melodic
breakdowns, the child of Josh Homme and Layne Staley on vocals, etc.,
etc. The band somehow execute this expansive variety of moods in such
a way that it manages to come across as a catchy song rather than a
queasy mess of incompatible ideas which is quite an achievement.
This
sets the tone for an album which engages and excites throughout,
throwing in new sounds and influences at every twist and turn without
weighing down the music. Key to this is the prominence of keyboards.
Often only really used in metal bands to provide subtle ambience or
layers of atmosphere, here the synths are often the lead instrument
and integral to FOPAW’s sound. An eclectic array of tones are used
throughout from the skronking organ freakout in “Undo The Redo’s”
to the strange BBC Radiophonic Workshop noises at the start of the
proggy glam stomp of “Somewhere”. There are elements of the retro
synth wizardry of Zombi throughout and the short mid-album
instrumental “Ocean Sea Water” even recalls the woozy ambience of
Boards of Canada.
The
prominence of keyboards has not lead to any deficiencies in the riffs
department though. Again, there is a wide palette on display here
from the thunderous Torche stylings of “Undo The Redo’s”,
plenty of spiky off-kilter Queens of the Stone Age vibes throughout
and even a touch of noise titans Part Chimp and heavy pitch shifter
abuse of “Jupiter” era Cave In on “Because”. It’s the likes
of the aforementioned Torche and cheerful stoners Tweak Bird who
provide the best point of reference though as FOPAW take a similar
dayglo pop vibe and fuse it to the crunch of metal to create a
colourful psychedelic sound. The overall effect is a bit like the
Flaming Lips if they decided to dedicate themselves to the way of the
riff.
This
is particularly evident on the colossal 12 minute finale “Cotton
Sheep”. Its lengthy duration and total lack of metal elements may
sound like an incongruous and anticlimactic way to finish the album
but it works a treat. Beginning with 5 minutes of swirling solo synth
soundscapes before the whole band joins to begin a subdued electronic
ballad similar to eclectic indie rockers Menomena. This builds to a
soaring pay-off that wouldn’t have been out of place on an older
M83 album.
“Faux
Paw” is a highly impressive debut from FOPAW that reveals more and
more with every listen. On this evidence I eagerly await the next
dose of Wizardry from this intriguing trio.
Words
by Charlie Butler
Thanks
to Bucky Brown for arranging the promo. Faux Paw is available to buy
now on CD and Vinyl through Zeal Records.
For
more information
