O Fracas - Fits & Starts
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O Fracas
Release Date: 19/05/08
Label: I Can Count Records
Rating: 6/10
‘Brouhaha’ opens O Fracas’ debut album and it is most certainly a pleasant sound. However, ‘Brouhaha’ barely develops and is more like a bunch of ideas grouped together, with a definite lack connections. It does seem quite ironic how when vocalist Ben Partridge announces that "You’re treading water and the air is running thin" with O Fracas appearing to be struggling from musical indecision. ‘Fact Finding’ is much better however. With a destructive bass line, it is a great funk song. It hints towards afro-beat and sounds very unique to O Fracas. With lyrics, delivered with such power and energy, this sounds triumphant to a certain extent.
Despite its brevity, ‘Thousand Times’ shows that O Fracas are skilled when it comes to slower, acoustic, songs. They are particularly gifted in such a talented singer, even if he can’t quite hit the highest notes. It is such a shame that ‘Thousand Times’ clocks in at under 80 seconds. ‘You Can Hear The World From Menwith Hill’ displays a folk side to O Fracas, complemented with church hall-style honky tonk piano. The recurring intro to ‘What Jim Hears’ is greatly juxtaposed to ‘You Can Hear The World From Menwith Hill’. Gone is all the subtlety and carefulness, as venom, bounce and energy replaces it in an almost shocking return to funk. It does not work at all, unless they are aiming to bemuse their audience. ‘And So A Scratch Runs Down A Wall’ is quintessentially English and amazingly catchy. This is a surprising and welcome change from other songs in this album. ‘Follow Sue’ reverts back to the more funk aspect of the band, before ‘Sixteen Beats’ returns again to the more folk side of O Fracas.
‘Forfeit’ is one of the best songs on the album. With slightly out of tune vocals, this has an almost sinister sound while the surging guitars create a lovely yet bizarre mix of funk and folk. ‘Train Track’ sounds a shambles at its best. It is saved by that fact that it does not even last a minute. ‘Falling Fast Behind’ lacks any spark whatsoever and merges into a dull mix of noises from each instrument used. ‘Zeroes And Ones’ is much better, however, it is too little too late to save this album from becoming boring. It does not develop and, if anything, digresses away from the main theme of rough chords and powerful vocals.
Although this album sounds promising, it feels like O Fracas have bundled all their material together and burnt it onto a CD, instead of choosing which songs to use, and which to leave out. Their songs have a tendency to be easily forgotten. They need an edge and unfortunately this album does not have it.
Guy Purssell
O Fracas Official Site
O Fracas Myspace
Buy O Fracas CDs | Buy O Fracas mp3s | Buy O Fracas Tickets | Buy O Fracas Merch
Release Date: 19/05/08
Label: I Can Count Records
Rating: 6/10
‘Brouhaha’ opens O Fracas’ debut album and it is most certainly a pleasant sound. However, ‘Brouhaha’ barely develops and is more like a bunch of ideas grouped together, with a definite lack connections. It does seem quite ironic how when vocalist Ben Partridge announces that "You’re treading water and the air is running thin" with O Fracas appearing to be struggling from musical indecision. ‘Fact Finding’ is much better however. With a destructive bass line, it is a great funk song. It hints towards afro-beat and sounds very unique to O Fracas. With lyrics, delivered with such power and energy, this sounds triumphant to a certain extent.
Despite its brevity, ‘Thousand Times’ shows that O Fracas are skilled when it comes to slower, acoustic, songs. They are particularly gifted in such a talented singer, even if he can’t quite hit the highest notes. It is such a shame that ‘Thousand Times’ clocks in at under 80 seconds. ‘You Can Hear The World From Menwith Hill’ displays a folk side to O Fracas, complemented with church hall-style honky tonk piano. The recurring intro to ‘What Jim Hears’ is greatly juxtaposed to ‘You Can Hear The World From Menwith Hill’. Gone is all the subtlety and carefulness, as venom, bounce and energy replaces it in an almost shocking return to funk. It does not work at all, unless they are aiming to bemuse their audience. ‘And So A Scratch Runs Down A Wall’ is quintessentially English and amazingly catchy. This is a surprising and welcome change from other songs in this album. ‘Follow Sue’ reverts back to the more funk aspect of the band, before ‘Sixteen Beats’ returns again to the more folk side of O Fracas.
‘Forfeit’ is one of the best songs on the album. With slightly out of tune vocals, this has an almost sinister sound while the surging guitars create a lovely yet bizarre mix of funk and folk. ‘Train Track’ sounds a shambles at its best. It is saved by that fact that it does not even last a minute. ‘Falling Fast Behind’ lacks any spark whatsoever and merges into a dull mix of noises from each instrument used. ‘Zeroes And Ones’ is much better, however, it is too little too late to save this album from becoming boring. It does not develop and, if anything, digresses away from the main theme of rough chords and powerful vocals.
Although this album sounds promising, it feels like O Fracas have bundled all their material together and burnt it onto a CD, instead of choosing which songs to use, and which to leave out. Their songs have a tendency to be easily forgotten. They need an edge and unfortunately this album does not have it.
Guy Purssell
O Fracas Official Site
O Fracas Myspace
Buy O Fracas CDs | Buy O Fracas mp3s | Buy O Fracas Tickets | Buy O Fracas Merch
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