The End of the World
French Exit
Flameshovel /Pretty Activity Records
8/10
I actually liked this. There are a lot of alt-country moments, but I wouldn’t necessarily classify the album as such per se. It’s got a bit of folk rock thrown in the mix as well. The songs are well-crafted and, for the most part, are very somber. This is definitely not the kind of album I would expect to be coming out of Brooklyn right now. While a lot of New York bands are doing the whole dance punk, Joy Division sounding thing, these guys have gone an alternate route and to positive effect. I listened to this twice in a row just to make sure I enjoyed it a second time as much as I thought I did the first time through. Guess what? I did. “Railroad Living” and “Billy Silverman’s Poolhouse” were the brightest of the bunch to my ears. “Billy” was so serene I imagined listening to it on my phone’s mp3 player (no, I don’t own a fucking Ipod, we aren’t all made of money) while reading a book in the park, or maybe while taking a leisurely bike ride through the surrounding neighborhood streets.
Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that band mates Stefan Marolachakis and Benjamin Smith performed, recorded and self-produced the entire album. Two more friends perform with them live, but this was the work of two guys. The End of the World’s French Exit is very deserving of a listen, and if you fancy some relaxing tunes every once in a while, I’d recommend you give it one.
-Luke Toney