Fontanelle - F EP
(Kranky)
Fontanelle follows up their self-titled debut with an almost equally
long EP, F, from those same recording sessions, taking place over the first
three years of the band's existence. On this EP, the band takes their
astro-fusion to a more wide open space, letting the repeating short
bursts of rhythm and melody find their way unimpeded by the momentum
of the song and the supporting players. As such, these songs are less
focused on groove, the greater amount of open space creating restrictions
on the power needed to form and flow with the groove.
This greater amount of space shows the formation of the songs more
clearly. Just like members Andy Brown and Rex Ritter's
previous band Jessamine, Fontanelle creates their songs by
improvising during recording sessions and then selecting sections
that work as "songs." With this added space, it's easier to see
which members of Fontanelle find the melody, rhythm, or riff
that works and becomes a centerpiece, then how the other members
do (and don't) work off that centerpiece to create a fuller piece
of music, and then the moments were it all breaks down and the band
flows into something else.
These improvised moments of guitar interplay can be very pretty,
such as the Meisha-esque "Floor Tile." The mind focuses on the
lead guitar riff which is very lulling and soothing. When the
second guitar begins playing off that lead riff or when the riff, through
what could be mistakes, mutates for a measure or two, it creates
a mesmerizing effect, like staring into a rotating spiral, that causes
the listener to feel off-balance. After the slight hiccup, the lead
riff continues, and the listener again feels at equilibrium until the next
well-placed jumble.
The pallate the band uses is an interesting one, as well, being
both warm and textured through the use of keyboards and clean
guitars along with cymbal-heaving drums and various electronics, such
as the well-done space sounds at the beginning of the album on "Fulcrum."
The marketing decision behind Fontanelle's first two releases is
clear. Coming from the same recording sessions, their debut album
was the exclamation point signifying the change
from Jessamine to the new band, severing ties. On the EP--actually
an LP at an EP price--the band
takes more time to feel their way, not packing the product with
highlights but letting the songs take shape on their own, showing the
whole process of the formation of what would be the highlights. F
doesn't grab your attention as forcefully as the band's first album--it
is not nearly as action-packed--but
it is as interesting a document and just as aurally pleasing.
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