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ONE WAY Recommends [Issue
#15] Fog By
Dave Lewis
10th Avenue Freakout
(CD
Lex)
Minneapolis experimental
group Fog started out as the one-man band of former Lateduster member Andrew
Broder. With 10th Avenue Freakout, he returns with a full band and a
hip new label. The musical pallet has been significantly expanded since 2003’s
Ether Teeth. While Broder’s trademark bedroom electronic folk is still
the dominant style, Fog is pushing into a more accessible indie rock territory,
at times sounding like The Shins (on “The Rabbit”). Freakout
features more keyboards and horns and less acoustic guitar and turntables than
earlier efforts. Furthermore, many of the songs include live drums (courtesy
of Martin Dosh, an acclaimed solo artist in his own right), which may not seem
like a too radical a concept, but for those familiar with Fog’s first two
LPs, it comes as a significant change of pace. The haunting opener “Can
You Believe It?,” which sounds like They Might Be Giants played at too
slow a speed, sets the stage for an unpredictable track list that culminates
in the chaotic noise freakout of “The Hully Gully.” It may all confound
some listeners. Others will embrace Fog’s quirky charm.
