Track listing
1. Prelude (arr. Montgomery/Hunstone/Giles) 2. Down on love (Montgomery) 3. Fermi's pile (Hunstone) 4. Bonehouse (Hunstone) 5. My wandering mind (Hunstone) 6. Empty public houses (Montgomery/Hunstone/Giles) 7. Loose ends (Hunstone) 8. Salvation Jane (Montgomery) 9. Stone (Hunstone) 10. Westminster (Montgomery) 11. Unintelligent design(Hunstone) 12. Leanne (Montgomery) 13. What lies beneath (Hunstone) 14. Reason for living (Montgomery) Video Clips Down on love Westminster Down on love (live at the Phoenix) Empty public houses Fermi's Pile To purchase a CD ($10 incl postage within Australia) email ninetynine@thefeldons.com or download selected tracks free of charge below.....
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A Cabinet of Human Oddities is exactly that. The Feldons debut CD is full of strange and wondrous offerings from quirky jazz to hard driving electric blues rhythms.
Songwriters Mark Hunstone and James Montgomery have created an album of exquisite diversity and with the backing of drummer Nick Giles, deliver a pleasing and eclectic mix of pop, blues and indy with influences that hark back from the 1920s to the modern day. Hunstone's marvellous lyrical ability is highlighted in his songs as much as is his mastery of the guitar, and Montgomery's undoubted ability to combine various melodies and tunes into complete songs is plainly evident. After a strange circus inspired prelude, Oddities blasts the listener with the pumping and raucous rocker Down on Love before falling back to the thought provoking lyrics and guitar of Fermi's Pile, an intellectual track about the invention of the atomic bomb. Following this exceptional piece is Bonehouse, this time hard driven electric blues with pumping bass lines, screaming guitars and pounding rhythms. As quickly as the blues fade the listener is surprised by the humorous rockabilly piece My Wandering Mind, complete with a fake double bass sound made available through a little studio trickery by the lads. Following this the album again launches into electric blues, this time the faster and more urgent Empty Public Houses in which social commentary comes to the fore in lyrics about everyday observations. As the raw and exciting wildness of EPH fades, the listener is suddenly transported to another world, one of regret and misgivings as the lyrics and guitar bring Loose Ends forward as a stand out country blues style track, the plaintive guitar and piano in the fade out enhancing the feel of despair and the inevitability. Following this, The Feldons serve up the superbly dynamic Salvation Jane, complete with soaring harmonies, rifle shot snare rolls and driving guitars. The interesting country pop song Stone follows before the screech of seagulls heralds the multi layered Westminster with its ominous instrumental interludes separating dark and strangely disturbing lyrics. Trailing this piece is another masterclass in word smithing with Unintelligent Design, complete with a horn section fade out, punchy drum loops and joyous lead guitar. After such a fade out, the listener is gently introduced to the piece Leanne, a piano driven tune with joyously happy music, including a French horn lead, but a sadder, more lonely lyric. Following is the ear splitting What Lies Beneath, a classic blend of driving blues, terrified guitars and pounding drums and bass that transport the listener into the studio where one can feel the pain and brewing anger. And then, after the turmoil and destruction of the previous track, the listener is pleasantly surprised by the quirky, slightly silly, but eminently smile provoking Reason for Living as The Feldons take one back to a different world where the sun shines eternally and living is easy. And so this is The Feldons A Cabinet of Human Oddities - a rare gem in a sea of plain and unimaginative modern music where conforming to the norm seems to mean more than individuality. Take the time to listen, music is again how it should be. |
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