Category: New Album Review

Favorite Songs: Catalog, Dialogue, A2, Xvanos

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As hilarious as it sounds, Froth was conceived from an ironic joke. An idea from two El Segundo, California friends Joo Joo Ashworth and Jeff Fribourg, who would release publicity photos and stories from the road into the ether without ever performing or recording anything tangible. An LP was in the works that would feature 20 minutes of nothing at all…silence, which would be pressed on vinyl with the help of a friend, curious to see how this mockery would pan out. Though there was the concept of a real band, in actuality there wasn’t one. At least not one that transcended into reality from the humorous minds of two buddies.

Fate seemed to intervene in 2012 when Fribourg, a music enthusiast, put together a small festival and one of the acts would have to cancel. Looking to fix the problem, Fribourg and Ashworth stepped in to give the newly dubbed Froth the chance to see some action. Assisted by bassist Jeremy Katz, who had only just bought a bass the previous week, and drummer Cameron Allen, Froth put on a disastrous performance but it was the start of something real and authentic.

Fribourg, who was the initial guitarist, had been replaced before Froth recorded its second record. Then that replacement was replaced by Nick Ventura in 2015 and the band then toured extensively across the US and the UK.

Now with their fourth release and second full-length, Froth’s Duress continues the quest of perfecting a sound that is not quite psychedelic and escapes just outside the realm of garage-rock. Though they have been said to be going more to the route of dream pop, I’m not really so sure. There is a lot to unpack with this band as there are many layers to comprehending the music, though it is still packaged in simplistic containment. 

The opening track Laurel is a great introduction to the sound and feel of the album. Two guitars work in unison to create a montage of the satisfying arrangement, with weird stompbox effects and bends that kill. 

Detail is abundant on the record, with every space and every second accounted for. There are some cool intros by varying electronic devices, whether that be by an omnichord or the keys, which are also used as cool segways into other parts of the songs. 

Dialogue is an intriguing one. It has a more traditional rock vibe, with its elegant cleans and sharp dirty riffs that cut through with single notes and more killer bends. The main melody is echoed by the keys which eventually paves the way to an imaginative bridge that just plain jams with two-guitar harmonies that bring the song to an abrupt stop. 

One thing that really got me into this band was checking out some of their performances on YouTube. Seeing them do their thing in a live setting makes you appreciate them so much more. Rather than having to soak in the music to get past the slight weirdness of it, seeing them play together instantly immerses you in a fascinating experience. These dudes just rock out. That’s it, nothing more and nothing less. Be sure to add this one to your library and give it a listen. 

– Justin Capoccia

Favorite Songs: I’m Not Your Victim

FCC Violations: It Was To Be You, I Am Goddess

UGHHHH! I’m sorry I just can’t…but I guess I have to. Disclaimer: I know not much of electronic and I feel that my position would not give you a fair and balanced review of this album. With that being said, I’m going to give you one anyway. 

LAL is a Toronto based electronic duo that has been said by cultural intermediaries to be artists that have been movers of the underground Toronto scene. The tandem has numerous releases under their belt with Dark Beings being their sixth full-length album. From what I gather, this album is one that features numerous other musicians within their community including musicians, producers, and even a design team. Pretty cool in its own right, it still isn’t enough for me to like it but I will always give credit to where credit is due. They’ve managed to stay relevant for almost two decades and that deserves praise no matter my opinion of the art itself.

Getting back to the album, I can dig the harmonizing vocals with Rosina Kazi taking the highs and Nicholas “Murr” Murray taking the lows. Other than that, I’m grasping at straws here. Have you ever seen that ‘99 teen movie She’s All That? There’s a part where Freddie Prinze Jr tries to get to know Rachel Leigh Cook’s character, aka the nerd and watches her partake in some kind of performance theater where there is a social lesson to be learned, no matter how obscure. Obviously, Prinze Jr. is cringing in his seat but gives it the benefit of the doubt. That’s kind of what this reminds me of. I get that there is a deeper meaning to the music but I can’t get on board. 

I Am Not Your Victim did strike my fancy somewhat. I dug the way the lyrics were put over the music. It has a cool bass line but it’s probably coming from some kind of electronic device that’s not an electric bass. 

I’m having conflicting ideas. LAL has managed to retain a following but I’d also label this music to be within a utilitarian market, meaning it’s in the background to the forefront of something else during a listener’s experience. You know, like if you go to a coffee shop for the purpose of gettin’ that caffeine fix but there’s also a band or solo artist playing that you had no idea would be there but you take it in nonetheless though it is not your focal point. 

So here I am with my scattered but shameless take. Don’t take my word for it though. Check it out if you’re into this type of music. LAL is doing something right. 

– Justin Capoccia

Best Songs: Ghostride, The Letter

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First off, I have to give credit where credit is due. Crumb has had an unbelievable stretch of success, especially since the band has remained unsigned since its inception. While attending Tufts University in Boston, the band came to fruition in 2016. The members were learning various programs of study including computer and cognitive science, psychology, and music. Coming from varying personal musical backgrounds, the group was comprised of musicians who were into jazz, soul, and rock. Soon after coming together, Crumb was formed and they worked on songs that lead singer and guitarist Lily Ramani had written. 

In 2016, their first release was a self-titled single which contained three tracks. Their second was an EP titled Locket, which had four songs and was released the next year. Now, almost two years later, the group has released a full-length, double-sided album titled Jinx. It is important for me to inform you that their most popular song has 11 million streams on Spotify and the band’s music has created somewhat of a cult following among listeners who like to partake in getting trippy with hallucinogens. It makes for a surreal and euphoric journey…according to them. I am in no way urging you to take part in that experience!

With all that being said, I was not a fan of this release. Yeah, there are some favorable qualities and segments to some of the songs, but they are few and far between and not enough to pique my interest.

I was first introduced to the group during my DJ days two semesters ago when I played a track from their EP. I wasn’t really into it then but I felt it was a good filler and it sounded like a song that some people would gravitate to. 

To me, Jinx sounds just plain lazy and unorganized. It’s almost as if not a lot of thought went into it but I’m pretty sure that’s the point of it. They try to arrange unconventionally and hats off to that, but the rhythm section sounds like joke riffing – as if the guitarist was fooling around with some funny lick and wanted to show his companions something amusing. 

It’s just an unmemorable piece of work in my not-so-important opinion. Crumb is dead set on taking the listener to a specific place in their consciousness but I’m not liking the destination I find myself in. 

I did like the guitars in Ghostride. The parts were unorthodox but seemed to flow better than the rest of the songs. The chorus was very rich with a multitude of tones containing high, yet subtle vocals. I also took to The Letter. It had a spooky sounding guitar tandem that frolicked about in minor. The bass traced the steps of the guitars eloquently and added a solid backbone to the track. 

Well folks, I hope you don’t find this review too offensive, though this was more of a look into the history of the band rather than a full-on review. After all, this is just MY opinion. I’m sure I would get tarred and feathered among the multitude of fans this band has worked hard to acquire. Though I’m shaming this release, I do urge you to take a listen to it. Objectively speaking, it has potential and could be considered a masterpiece to some since it seems to be out of the ordinary. Any band that self-releases something and has built success deserves a listen.

– Justin Capoccia