Fred Abong - Blindness [2CD]

Format: 2 x CD
Catalogue No.: MOOCHIN39 
Barcode: 5051083203241
Release Date: 26 Jul 2024
Genre: Rock

American alternative crooner and multi-instrumentalist Fred Abong (Throwing Muses, Belly) gets experimental on new 'Blindness' LP

He grew up in the Northeast, has lived in Southern California, and is currently calling New Orleans home.

Slightly off-kilter songs, existential, spiritual, romantic, and poetic in their focus, detuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and a raw and unpolished production aesthetic characterize Fred’s overall sound. A hypnotic, sometimes gravelly, voice adds to the effect.

As one reviewer of Fred’s work has put it:

“There are artists who we say have a particular sound and then there are artists who, upon listening to their music, are so unique that there is no possible way that their music could be mistaken as being performed by anyone other than them. In the case of singer-songwriter Fred Abong, the latter case is certainly true.” (Amplify Music)

Fred’s music has drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, The Velvet Underground, Jeff Buckley, Nirvana, Joe Strummer, and Guided By Voices.

BLINDNESS - Note

I love to play the drums and do so whenever I can. It's music-making with full body engagement, just as it is with singing, which I also love. Piano is the midpoint between these two, and though I never played piano before making this record, I had an inkling that writing on the piano might help me open up or access a compositional and emotional space that was not available to me through the guitar. And that's basically what happened. Though I experimented with and deployed a boatload of digital sounds on the record, the central act of writing by banging on note-producing keys seemed to put me in a realm where timeless songs of the heart and soul reside. It must have something to do with the piano's unique 'platypus' identity as both a percussion and melodic instrument. It encompasses the entire musical spectrum. In any case, it was great fun and I'm glad I gave it a go. I hope you are, too. Cheers

Comes with bonus 6 track album – Homeless

Review copies sent to MOJO, Record Collector, Uncut, Observer, The Wire, Music Week

FOR FANS OF: Elliot Smith, Leonard Cohen, Kristin Hersh, The Replacements, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Joe Strummer, Guided By Voices…

BLINDNESS -

ICE BLINK
THE DAM
BLINDNESS
HEAVEN
BUZZARDS
PAINT ME
LISTENING
HECTOR
PENNY PARADE
WOOL

+ Bonus album

HOMELESS –
PLUM
RATTLER
HOMELESS
HI AVALON
EQUINOX
CANNERY

–