Fort Frances – Falling Down

Fort Frances – Falling Down

 

You know, the reason I got into blogging was to introduce all of you to great tunes. I never really anticipated how great having a blog would be for my own musical discovery. The tight-knit community of blogbros means that great tracks and bands get passed around from band to blog to readers to blogs to blogs to readers to bands and back to blogs. Today's example is the lads of Chicago's Fort Frances and their album The Atlas, which I've been devouring for a week.

You know how whenever you have a choice presented to you, you end up having a bias towards the first one you saw? That same thing tends to happen with music. I usually fall for the first song I hear from an album. Even if the album is stellar, that one track always jumps out and tackles me like a giant German Shepherd who smells drugs.

I first came across Fort Frances when Ben of Vocal Nerd Rodeo recommended they to reach out to me. Since Ben is a very trusted musical source, I immediately Bandcamp'd them suckers. I should really set the scene for you. It was a Friday night. I had just had the week from hell at work. I was enjoying some tasty brews (probably a few too many) and jamming out when my inbox sounded.

The first track I happened to listen to was "Falling Down". It struck to the core. I love having those moments where emotional disposition, environment, and expectation all manifest themselves in the perfect track. And this was it.

The track starts simply enough with some reverbed cooing and strummed chords. But as the tension builds, the song breaks into a bouncy, off-kilter rhythm that drags you into the song kicking and screaming (well, more like clapping and humming). The slightly gravely, heartfelt vocals mesh into the soundscape, becoming another instrument. These beautiful sonics continue for nearly three minutes and you think to yourself "this is a great tune, it could end here and I'd be happy".

And then the boys kick it up a notch. The percussion gets harder and and the vocals louder and angrier. The song evolves into what it was always meant to be: a write-off of a lost love. Or a soundtrack to my drunken Friday. Eye of the beholder, eh?

Visit Fort Frances' Bandcamp page for downloads and to listen to some other tracks from The Atlas. It's well worth your time.