So while it’s totally understandable that some of you are scratching your heads, wondering if you’ve heard Fif before, it’s actually pretty safe bet you have – remember the explosive duo Shake The Baby Till the Love Comes Out? Even if you didn’t get into them, you probably remember such a distinct band name.
Fif, the band’s guitar player, was always lauded as having an incredibly unique style that was as flow-y and natural sounding as it was inimitably discordant, and we’re happy to report the spirit of those noodlings are very much alive on Lower Forty Eight as well. That being said, it’s also something entirely different that shows off a previously hidden side of the guitarist’s abilities.
Of course, fans of STBTTLCO will find a lot to love here. Fif still decimates convention at every turn, but with expanded dynamic. Whether it’s through walls of guitar dark, granular sound or stripping vocals back to the point of listeners having to turn the volume up in their headphones, it’s constantly proving itself as an album of immense range.
You never know what kind of record you’re going to get when someone goes solo, but much of Lower Forty Eight is transcendent in a way we just couldn’t have predicted. Generally when a guitar player goes their own way, they’re creating a space for emotions and expressions that weren’t able to find a home with other projects, and sometimes that creates a weird sort of tension, like why couldn’t they have just done a song with whatever band or outfit they’re known for? But here Fif casually displays a whole other world that wouldn’t make sense anywhere else, save for tasty labels like Joyful Noise, Sargent House, or APK.
There’s some spacey harmony effects and modulations here too, and they always seem to function as sort of a narrative interlude but they still feel integral, almost like characters in a story. Speaking of characters, Fif also has some excellent help here from people like Danny Sher on the drums, who many will recognize from Horse Torso and Your Crippling Alcoholism. We can only imagine how much fun it is to be the rhythm section for these songs – the title track and “Sugarfix[weevil]” literally had us throwing our hands in the air. If you’re looking for something fascinating between Feeble Little Horse, Deerhoof, and the gritty guitar moves of Fiona Gurney, this one’s an absolute winner.
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