>> FOREST FIRE - 'Survival',
out april 27th, 2009
"Homegrown hymns for those with no religion."
'SURVIVAL' was recorded over an eight-month
period in two locations - Brooklyn, New York and Portland, Oregon.
Not all the members of Forest Fire live on the same coastline,
Mark Thresher explains, So when certain friends roll through
town, things happen pretty quickly. Consequently, long
periods of time passed between sessions and the songs sat untouched
for months. Many of the tracks were recorded live in less than
five takes, then maniacally overdubbed by a variety of players.
Sometimes there was only one microphone for the entire band.
Sometimes they pulled out a few more. No one was in a hurry,
Thresher says, but eventually enough material was gathered
to justify putting something out.
For me, this thing is a document of stylistic
integrity that felt very important to all of us at the time,
says Thresher. But Survival also houses a feeling of blatant
disregard, one that unabashedly nods to the rich and historic
landscape of American punk rock. The tracks are littered with
out-of-tune horns, vibrant bursts of guitar and layers of screeching
electronics. Nathan Delffs frantic guitar work threads throughout
dark and carefully executed harmonies by the likes of Sharon
Van Etten, Myisha Battle and Nick Delffs (Shaky Hands). Ghostly
synthesizers, arresting vocals and loose percussion are woven
together under the glimmering production values of Adam Spittler.
Threshers lyrics also require a close listen; while brief,
they remain consistently purposeful and sincere.
Survival is a moment-to-moment kind of recording.
Songs of total grit will suddenly part to reveal blue sky, before
dissolving once again into disorder. On tracks such as Slow
Motion and Sunshine City, sparse arrangements
creep along, then grow as thick and tangled as jungle brush.
On Through My Gloves, Thresher spits in waves,
threatening and concise, and ditches the restrained lyrical
approach for a moment. He casts a convincing scene; Im
living for whats on my mind, as if to defend something
sacred. In contrast, I Make Windows aches along
delicately and the catchy and imaginative Fortune Teller
holds an outright pop sensibility. Although Thresher describes
it simply as something that felt very important to all of
us at the time, Survival is a modern album, built with
enough fortitude and spirit to warrant repeated listens.
FOREST FIRE are Mark Thresher, Nathan Delffs,
Adam Splittler and Natalie Stormann.
Guest Musicians: Colin Anderson, Emily Anderson,
Nick Delffs, Sharon Van Etten, Mayhaw Hoons, Ben Sanabria, Jeremiah
Stewart, and Myisha Battle.
