I saw this saying on a bumper sticker in the parking lot of the procrastinator’s anonymous meeting that I thought was pretty appropriate, “Better late than never.” The Blue E.P. release from Denver’s Colder Than Fargo has been out for a bit-o-time, and if you’ve already picked it up, good for you. If not, well, that’s where we come in.
Last August our writer Dave Haucke reviewed the band’s last release, In the Basement of the Chapel, hailing the musical canvas they’d painted while observing that the piece was a work in progress. Let’s just say there has been some busy bee action going on behind the scenes.
I almost didn’t recognize CTF when the vapor trial harmonies and dirgy guitar on “Moonshack” first caressed my ears. Psychedelic in nature, peddles play a big part in their effort to create tidal waves of sound that crashe and flow in the aptly name “Holed Up Again.” Tangerine smiles shine brightly as Brit-pop swings hand in hand down Haight Street with flower children on “Furious Boy,” complete with the “Na, na, na” vocals, bass rumbles and escalating Marshall stack madness.
Randall Frazier’s (from Orbit Service and an amazing musician in his own right) Helmet R00m studio in Denver was responsible for the recording, and this latest release definitely have another notch in their belt. The still waters in Blue are warm and inviting, the sounds are rich with a vibrating intricacy, and the result will put you under their trance. And then after four tracks it’s over. This is a great teaser to a sophmore release…hint, hint.
