With a hopeful and happy-go-lucky strumming acoustic and a vocal performance that’s rife with a dry but jovial rasp, Falcon Ave have composed five easy-going folk rock pieces that range from short and cute to lengthy and contemplative. The entire record was built on a foundation of spontaneity. Rather than taking their time to lay out in exquisite detail each track’s composition, the entire album was recorded with the goal of getting it out as quickly as possible. “I like to write and record, but actually finishing stuff can be really challenging so the whole idea with this release was to put together some new material and then just focus on getting it released without stopping to question or start second guessing ourselves.”, says the group’s vocalist and guitarist Fraser Mackenzie.
The rather carefree and wonderfully odd delivery and lyricism draws influence from indie bands like Modest Mouse and Bright Eyes. There’s a rawness to the project’s composition, something that’s exemplified in a line on ‘A Bradley Shaped Hole’ where Fraser sings ‘Don’t be afraid to make a mistake’. It also happens to be one of my favourite pieces on the album, setting the mood wonderfully for the rest of the project. The dry and raspy voice of Fraser, who sings as languidly and lackadaisically as he does with a carefree joy makes it a tune that’s immediately heart-warming.
There isn’t the most variety in this single, but there’s an earnestness to the consistency of each piece. The lyricism is constantly entertaining with little snippets of each track catching your ear and endearing you keenly. Folk rock as a genre has a sincerity to it unlike most others. But when done insincerely, it can come across as crass, simplistic, and boring. But when its unfiltered and from the heart, it’s difficult to find tracks that are as keenly interesting and engaging as ‘Rearrange the Furniture’.
So, if you like slight oddities and eccentricities, even with a more minimalist genre like stripped back folk rock, Falcon Ave’s latest project will be one to remember. It is there EP, and they will cry if they want to. Give it a listen now!
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