The Sharp Things - Foxes and Hounds

The Sharp Things are not your typical New York City indie rockers. First of all, the band is a fluid collective featuring anywhere from ten to twelve members at a time. Secondly, their music suggests they would feel just as comfortable in the concert hall as they would on college radio. The group has been referred to as “orchestral” or “chamber” pop. Call them what you like, the band’s musical philosophy is evident in the opening track, “There Will Be Violins,” wherein vocalist Perry Serpa sings, “Put down the guitars, you have nothing to say through them anymore/Nothing that hasn’t been said ten thousand times before.” As the band’s bio states, they combine “a traditional rock rhythm section with strings, horns and other instruments.” The depth of the group’s musical ability propels each song and forges a unique musical identity that separates The Sharp Things from their legion of indie contemporaries. Evoking such luminaries as Burt Bacharach, Leonard Cohen and the recent work of Elvis Costello, Foxes and Hounds is the band’s laudable attempt at recalling an era when there was something grand and substantial about pop music. The Sharp Things assimilate elements of Celtic, folk, soul and straight-ahead rock into their rich instrumental texture. The world weariness of Serpa’s voice adds gravitas to melancholy tunes centered on the complex dynamics of human relationships. Standout tracks include “The Suicide Bombers,” “95 St. Mark’s Place,” and “Silver Anniversary,” which evolves over the course of six minutes from a sentimental waltz into a drunken reverie. My criticisms of this record are few and far between. On occasion, the band’s ambition gets the better of them, and a song that would have been served more simply falls under the weight of an overly intricate arrangement. There were also a few times where the vibrancy of certain brass and string instruments seemed dulled within the mix. At the end of the day, however, Foxes and Hounds serves as a breath of fresh air in a music scene overcrowded with cookie cutter artistry. [www.thesharpthings.com]