Altsounds - Fol Chen - Part One: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made [Album]

Take yourself on a musically intellectual ride of highs and lows. Conceptual, simplistic, haunting and emotional. Whether you like it or not Fol Chen manage to transport you to a magical uncontrollable island, full of big beats, ghostly voices and eery musicianship. 'Part I: john Shade, your Fortune's Made' is mysterious in its concept. 'Part I', for what reason? 'John Shade', who? Fol Chen as a band seem to keep their identities hidden, all their promo photos have their faces covered, the same applies to their Myspace pictures. Even the album cover has no clue and inclination to give us hint as to what they are about. What are they hiding?

Having little in the way of a strong consistent comparison, Tweaker are the only band that seem to crop up now and again. 'Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad of Donna Donna)' is the only consistent track sounding like Electro goths Tweaker. Vocally they experiment with some crazy stuff, swapping between male and female lead singers to create a duet of gigantic diversity. They have a Passion Pitt vocal vibe, doubling up on the tracks to create a wall of sound. Dirty, miserable opener 'The Believers' rumbles into the speakers with a ghostly trumpet and simplistic "blink" on what sounds like a piano. This track could definitely feature in a horror film. As it builds a resemblance to Billy Corgan's raspy, grimacing voice that flows out and takes you somewhere else.

From the beginning to the end, the whole album seems to work its way through a set of black and white. Depressing song, happy song, depressing song, happy song etc. It kind of leaves you in a puddle of anxiety, eager to listen to the next uplifting ballad. Mixing it up is a new formula, and it seems to be working for Fol Chen.

'No Wedding Cake', 'The Idiot' and 'Cable Tv' all standout for the rest heading closer towards a distorted pop vibe. Incorporating some great guitar work, simple beats and upright vocals. Not one of the ten gripping tracks turn you off, they all hold you to a point of clicking through the repeat button awaiting to listen to the last track just played, again and ... again.

This album does take time, Fol Chen have something quite special here and potentially very underground, yet enough for the mainstream to grab hold with its dirty money grabbing paws.

Tracks:
1.The Believers
2.No Wedding Cake
3.You and Your Sister in Jericho
4.The Idiot
5.Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad of Donna Donna)
6.Winter, That's All
7.Cable TV
8.Please, John, You're Killing Me
9.The Longer U Wait (Version)
10.If Tuesday Comes

Myspace: Fol Chen on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads