Fol Chen

Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made

(Asthmatic Kitty)

Record Review by Alex Pudlin

Los Angeles-based Fol Chen have been slithering around the blogs recently thanks to their infectious single, “Cable TV,” and its accompanying video, complete with Lakers Girls dancing in an empty pool.  “Cable TV” begins with a sitar ring and the feel-good moments don’t end there. This is one of those super cute numbers, full of kinda-clever, kinda-kitschy lyrics, that shouldn’t work. And maybe if it becomes some sleeper hit single, we’ll realize it doesn’t work. But for now, when Melissa Thorne sings, “fuck the hot tub, let’s go back to the room and watch some cable TV,” you can’t help but melt. It’s precious as all hell, but it’s damn catchy and hard to resist after a few spins.

As Asthmatic Kitty rookies, Fol Chen seeks to impress on Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made. And album opener “The Believers” does not fail. Trumpet drones, a coursing bass line, and some fine male/female vocal interplay turn this moody opener into a sublime first impression. “No Wedding Cake,” ups the ante as Fol Chen attempts to fuse indie, lo-fi, '80s funk, and club. Somewhat shockingly, they pull it off. The funky guitar strums and clavinet wobble will have this one in your dreams tonight. As will 8BPM-er “You and Your Sister in Jericho,” a breezy waltz that makes me long for a bicycle built for two. These three songs alone contain enough musical influences to fill at least an iPod Nano, but “The Idiot” truly turns everything on its head even more, as Fol Chen offer up a slice of Emo synth-soul, with falsettos that fall somewhere between nerdy and truly soulful.

Yet for all the eclecticism, Part I’s adventurous spirit begins to get the best of Fol Chen. With the exception of the aforementioned “Cable TV,” the back-end of the album begins to feel rather rote. Whereas the first bunch of songs had a pioneering outlook that made even the songs’ missteps endearing, tracks like “Red Skies Over Garden City” and “Please John” aren’t so much genre mash-ups as they are undisciplined and restless. Although the marching band stomp of “Winter, That’s All” has enough zest to pep up a sleeping koala, repeated listens reveal sludgy sounds that do little to service the groove.

Okay, so Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made is not cohesive in the slightest. Many of the songs don’t gel and the styles clash. At times it doesn’t even sound like the same band is playing. But when Fol Chen can align the stars, they’re quite capable of cranking out the synth-pop gems. And when they can’t? It’s about as delicious a train wreck as one can hope for.