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Freelove Fenner
Do Not Affect a Breezy Manner
Fixture - 2013
Michael Panontin
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Freelove Fenner's first stab at a long-player seems to find them pulled in two fairly different directions at the same time. In fact, the band have shot and uploaded a couple of videos for the 18-track Do Not Affect a Breezy Manner that illustrate this quite nicely. The almost-twee 'All Things Break Through' follows in the path of fellow Fixture labelmates Sheer Agony, checking that slight guitar pop of the early eighties, in this case forgotten icons like Let's Active and the Modettes. The other track, the moodier 'In the Sound', charts a decidedly different, and more modern, course, and thus offers up a glimpse of the eerie vignettes hidden within the disc.
The Montreal trio of Caitlin Loney, Peter Woodford and Michael Wright have gone to great lengths in their quest for authenticity, having built an analog recording studio in their basement, which they describe as "an integral part of their creative process." And like Brian Eno, they regard the studio as a compositional tool. Such dedication is certainly evident in tracks like 'Dr. D' and the aforementioned 'All Things...', which almost seem like lost demos from the cellar of some long-defunct U.K. indie label. Things get much more interesting, though, when they take a turn down trippier avenues, especially on the excellent title track or the hushed 'Eva', where Loney's lush vocal parallels the considerable talents of the late Trish Keenan. And speaking of Broadcast, there are three electronic snippets buried between the tracks that are probably the closest that any Canadian band has come to that curiously British hauntology sound. Send these off to Ghost Box ASAP!
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Freelove Fenner
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