Fiery Furnaces - Gallowsbird's Bark

In 2003, there was (in my opinion) an influx of too many garage bands that cluttered up things in the music scene. Most of these bands were quick copies of what the White Stripes were doing too. So when I heard about the Fiery Furnaces, I loathed the idea of having to sit through their CD. You see, they're a brother/sister garage/blues rock band from New York City. Enough said, right? Their debut Gallowbird's Bark sat on my desk for months until, bored one day, I finally gave it a shot.

With some pretty cool riffs, a wily, quirky sound and absolute chaos bound together in quick 2-3 minute songs, Gallowbird's Bark got my attention quickly. No, it wasn't the White Stripes. No, it wasn't a cookie cutter of what all the other garage bands were doing. The Fiery Furnaces are just as clever as Jack White with their song writing, but they channel a more bluesy thing, like JSBX and Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.......or at least like a garage band from NYC covering their songs. Their sound is so realized that this seems like their 3rd or 4th attempt at getting their sound right........not their first. The songs are tongue-in-cheek and have loads of humor (especially with lines Eleanor sings, like "Slit my wrists with my Swingline/Copied myself 500 times").

All in all, this is a pretty good CD. I'm not a huge garage rock fan, and perhaps if I were I would've given this a higher rating. But if you want cool quirky, bluesy, chaotic and wily, tight and organized all at once, give this one a few spins. It does seem to get better each time revisited. [www.thefieryfurnaces.com]