The Fiery Furnaces – Widow City (Thrill Jockey)
Chicago’s brother-sister outfit The Fiery Furnaces may have arrived on a wave of excitement and hype with their accessible 2003 debut, Gallowsbird’s Bark, but since then they’ve seemed hell-bent on constantly challenging the many fans that album won them by prolifically releasing music that laughs in the face of normality and approachability.
Many admirers moved on, impressed that they refused to pander to expectation but annoyed that they wouldn’t write more pop songs, which they’re clearly superb at doing. Indeed, they always tended to leave singles off the albums, choosing instead to release them quietly on a low-key and brilliant EP called, almost disdainfully, EP.
New album Widow City sees this most imaginative band find a perfect middle ground. It’s a difficult, mosaic-style record with four distinct parts but they’ve been sure to leave listeners many routes into their strange musical universe.
“Don’t try to digest in it one go,” is their advice, and that’s clever. Here’s an album to cherish by nibbling at in separate and enjoyable sessions.
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