THE FLOATING CITY – Entering A Contest (First Flight, FF005)
Posted: August 26th, 2005, by CrayolaThe singer of the songs on this album reminds me a lot of the wonderful Andrew Beaujon.
That’s a fantastic place to begin.
The Floating City have a lot in common with The Lucksmiths (reviewed in the same pile of records as it goes).
Simple, sparse arrangements of guitar, organ, drums and bass – the sound is breezy, wide open.
The whole album sounds like it’s been recorded live in the studio. Actually it sounds more ‘live in the library’.
In places I’m sure I can hear shelves creak and there’s definately someone reading Brautigan in the corner.
And that brings me back to Beaujon – The Floating city make me think of a very particular kind of mythical Americana, that place that Brautigan goes, that Hunter Thompson goes, that Andrew Beaujon goes. It’s not that the band are in any way attempting a Pavement-esque oddball thing.
Not by a long chalk.
But they do make music that feels like Trout Fishing in America. And that’s a good thing in my book.
“You are a weapon in the hands of your enemies”, they sing in “Oh Laughing Girl Upon the Brinke of Death”.
Now there’s a line I wish I’d written.
Crayola
Crayola's musical heritage stretches way back to having one of the most impressive record collections in Telford. Always on the outer limits of the most independent of independent music, he now co-runs Kabukikore Records and releases more records and CDRs than you can shake an obscure stick a t. And they have some nice packaging, too.