Best Songs: Isengard, Rollerblades, Hoop Dreams, Alexandria
FCC Clean
Euphoric, polished, and tight. That’s what you’ll get from this release by Olso, Norway’s FOAMMM. After all, the band’s genre is self-described as “dreamy” on their Facebook page. There is definitely some cool stuff going on in this album, the first full length from the band.
Though there are many details and nuances going on, everything somehow fits cohesively together and builds momentum as each track progresses. The guitars sound thick and rich, filling spaces with pedals and synths that live harmoniously, giving the album an experimental feel. This is rather odd though as the album sounds as if all the songs were written with meticulous intent, creating a consistent, yet risk-taking dichotomy that you don’t often see in music anymore. Check out the songs Isengard and Alexandria to really get an understanding of how great the synths and rhythm section go back and forth with effortless drive while not taking away from each other.
A fine album indeed, the only thing lacking would be taking that creative sound and diversifying it a bit more. If it weren’t for the awesome overall sound and tone of the album, it would give off the impression of feeding the same meal over and over. But it’s pretty fun and for lack of a better word…”chill.” Serving as the backdrop to just about any activity, FOAMMM’s self titled should definitely make rounds in your playlist.
There are a few transitional pieces where instrumentals and sustaining vocal melodies take over. This is where a lot of the experimentation takes place, which works to its advantage as not to cause too much of a distraction during full songs. It also serves as a spot for the meddling of guitar pedal settings to get those funky sounds that mesh so well with the synthesizer. Listen to Freedom Club Interlude give way to Freedom Club and see how well these tracks complement one another.
If you’re looking for both cleans and dirty riffs, Hoop Dreams is the one for you. The melancholy guitar chords mixed with the slightly distorted chime chord dance make for a unique blend.
It’s crazy to think that FOAMMM has been around since 2013 and had only released one EP and a few singles up to this point. Maybe that’s how this record felt so complete in that they had the time to work out any discrepancies. Be sure to put this one in your library if you’re looking for an escape into some otherworldly bliss. The clever finesse is transfixing and will leave you in a hypnotic state if you let it.
-Justin Capoccia