Well, let’s just get this part out of the way – Fake Pollocks, in their short time, have already managed to make a huge mark on the underground music scene by taking the magic that began with math rock’s beloved Floral to entirely new places.
Their new EP, Livestock continues to carry the torch, and it’s no surprise, but what is a surprise is just how damn committed they are to the journey. This isn’t just an ironically titled stream of consciousness with decent instrumentation – this is damn near world building.
The way the band spreads out and arranges their vocal parts is as impressive as anything they do with drums or guitars, but as the EP progresses, you may have a certain revelation – Fake Pollocks writes songs, not parts. These songs are increasingly cathartic: for every abstraction, the lyrics include almost uncomfortably specific line or phrase, and on Livestock, they’re often bolstered by some pretty serious baritone, a new flavor for the band we really adore. There are moments on “White Eichler” and “Peacock’s Breath” that transport us to the drawls of McClusky or Sun Kill Moon mixed with Brand New, sprawling narratives included.
It’s almost unfair that the EP has as much going on as it does – from what we can tell, this is genuinely the most heartfelt, emotive, and beat-the-fuck-up record we’ve ever heard about the trails and tribulations of farming. Even as Fake Pollocks loquacious streams push through the weirdest of passages, it’s almost too relatable. But why? Is it because we’ve wanted to run a farm for so long that our mind is just wrapping the lyrics in projected familiarity? Or is it because actually, we’re already on the farm, and we’re just livestock?
Things to think about. Well done, guys.
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