Album Review: Foot Ox-OOO

Equal parts Mountain Goats lyricism and melody, and the zaniness of Nana Grizol, Foot Ox have sprung from the (not) always fertile ground of the Portland Tempe, Arizona house show/DIY movement. A group of friends banging on cheap guitars and dented brass horns, over lead singer Teague's songs of life, love, death, and the world (and whose voice matches the child like growl/yelp of Theo Hilton). OOO, the band's second album, is a wild and unyielding, a sharp and nice contrast to the polish that has crept into anything mildly folky these days. Not that the former is bad per say, but you don't hear much of this lo-fi and sound as much.

Foot Ox really build on their debut, the under appreciated 2008 gem that was It's Like Our Secret Machine. While Machine had a "everything and the kitchen sink" mentality to it, OOO is more controlled, allowing the messier moments to shine as better parts of the songs. You have to listen to the album for the best sense of what I'm talking about, for there is just a level of ramshackleness to the whole album that works. Listening as album centerpiece "Charlie Brown" goes from creaking noise to the glorious euphoric folk pop explosion in the center of the song is just so sublime. It's that sense that everything and every stitch of every song will come undone at any second that adds to the album. The horns that go to wilting to semi-bombastic in seconds like in "Calis". The over enthusiastic but still great front man, and pounding acoustic guitar with battered nylon strings. It all comes out of the speakers like it might break at any moment. The pieces all add up to something that sounds familiar, but something different as well. It takes you to that moment you decided to start a band, got your friends together (even thought they didn't know how to play), and toured the country. And you actually did it.

(mp3) Foot Ox-I Wish I

Links:

Foot Ox's Website
Foot Ox on Myspace
Buy OOO from Stankhouse Records Here