Written by Fense
At first, it was difficult to determine exactly what a band like Tall Firs was doing on a label like Ecstatic Peace (Thurston Moore’s eclectic label imprint). Listening to “Hairdo”, I couldn’t quite hear its relation to Moore’s noted progressive, avant garde style of rock.
But then I listened to “So Messed Up”, the opener off last year’s Too Old To Die Young. And then I heard it–the relation is in the excessive percussion and easy, folky vocals. Tall Firs is not folk, necessarily, but the vocals have that simple sound and the percussion is subtle and laid back, yet wild and full at the same time.
Granted, not all songs in the Tall Firs catalog have these elements, but there are just enough to warrant the marriage between Ecstatic Peace and this band at least for a few years. I’m just sad it took so long for me to chuck out 10 bucks for an album this great.
