Fool’s Gold – Leave No Trace (IAMSOUND)
3/5
By: Josh Daniel
I've gone both ways with Leave No Trace. There's almost too much going on I'd tell myself, quickly followed by my own calls for yet more instrumentation... I've realised that this kaleidoscopic cacophony is meant to be exactly that, a complex mix; exciting, eager, intricate, perplexing and warm.
Despite the obvious musicianship on display (the band becoming more comfortable with a regular line up, rather than their previous incarnation as a come-and-go collective) there really is a lot going on, for better or for worse. By the end of the album, you'll be like me, planning to kidnap and hide the lead guitarist and only let him out to play a couple of songs a night. I'll soon be weaning him onto another, more dynamic instrument as the one note solos soon began to grate. Nonetheless he shows he is capable of brilliance on the two standout tracks 'Leave No Trace' and 'Street Clothes'. The tightly wound guitars attack from all angles, a constant presence betwixt the battling rhythms and 'whoa, whoahhh' yelps. It adds a certain tension but on close listening to the weaker tracks, it becomes a drag, like an ear ache that won't go away no matter how much you shake your head.
The 'Gold are at their best when things are simplified and their knack for a wonderful pop song shines through. 'Street Clothes' is a fine example, a track that could slip slyly onto Madonna's The Immaculate Collection if the guitar was a synth. 'Leave No Trace' is an utterly gorgeous, more restrained track with a sunkissed bassline that's all California Casual and mixed-up twenty something slacker at once. 'Balmy' continues the theme with a sublime wooziness worthy of its title, the boys and girls finally hitting their stride. This middle section of the album is the zenith, at least until that flute enters at the end of 'Lantern' and ever so gently fades you back into monochrome reality.
As they elongate the interludes and refrains, they fail to hit the heights of, say Gang Gang Dance. GGD can hypnotise and entrance, whereas Fool's Gold have an uncanny ability to leave you hypnagogic, lost between two worlds. You won't know whether to dance, sleep, grab a partner, or cry and wish Vampire Weekend had never opened that door. However, the worldly rhythms are fun, and seem to come from a more cultured place that other western a-f-r-o-b-e-a-t (I can hardly bring myself to type it) enthusiasts have yet to discover.
Look out for them on their upcoming November UK tour, where you'll be able to witness this summery band in a suitably grim, wintery environment. Perfect.
Artists in this article: Fool's Gold
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