The Sky Is Limitless

The Fresh and Onlys have their new album out. I am listening to it at the moment, typing my post, and there's that question coming to my mind. Was I really awaiting their next album or somehow did I already know that it wouldn't carry the same magic, the same supra-temporality that Play It Strange had?

 It has happened to me before, when I fell in love with Vietnam. Vietnam was great. Vietnam was the set for my mellow drunkenness, vest covered in beer and sweat and late night munchies in double size portions, and it had come at the right time as well. Not sure why the time was right exactly but now, I am listening to them, Vietnam the band from Brooklyn, the eponymous album, and I am tarnished to say that I have grown out of them. I have grown out of them. And I hate this expression. I am not a crab for Christ sake.

 Anyway, to come back to The Fresh and Onlys, I should have guessed. Well I suppose I did, but the reason why I should have known is because I didn't like any of their previous albums. Nonetheless, there was hope. Contrarily to Vietnam whom I can't really listen to nowadays without feeling that I must have been misguided or drunk - there is a clue - to promote their greatness to everyone I met, this is partly untrue, I still love 'Summer of Love', the first song on Play It Strange. Actually, I still love the whole album, even if the reverb-infused songs always get the best of my brain. But I listened to the Deity Guns (which are on Spotify by the way) in my days, and I sometimes crave to hear 'Kurious... Here Today'. As a child would pray for his mama's lullabies. As a sailor seeking for the calls of mermaids, a hundred miles from the sea.
 So noise I can deal with. And that's one thing The Fresh and Onlys have kept on their new album. Goodie.

 But what they might have lost is their ticket for the train departing from the 80s revival one or two years ago. Ok, this is childish. But why do they have to sound like Echo & The Bunnymen? Did they sound like that before? Did I not pick it up at the time? I don't think so.

 On 'Foolish Person' from Long Slow Dance, their last album, The Fresh and Onlys sing:

 I don't wanna be a fool anymore
 Walk into another glass door
 Cause I keep thinking that the window here is open wide

 Well, it isn't. Get a grip. Time to channel Douglas Bader. Cut across the sky or fall like an angel.