Ford & Fitzroy
Canyons

Review By Andy Argyrakis

Fort & Fitzroy takes its name from Van Morrison’s golden oldie “Madam George” off his now classic album Astral Weeks, and though the Brooklyn buzz band might be a lot more intense than that veteran, there’s a certain sense of timelessness throughout this full-length debut. In fact, the group already made major waves in the indie scene by performing several shows at this year’s College Music Journal Marathon in the Big Apple, followed by mounds of internet buzz from savvy bloggers of multiple taste making associations.

However, the fivesome proves to be more substance than hype from the opening onslaught of “Las Vegas Blush,” which entrances with brooding guitars over front man Jay Schneider’s jittery delivery. “The Sleep Atlas” is additionally hypnotic in its execution, though despite its sluggish title, surges with sputtering chord progressions and piercing percussion. On a straightforward but equally alluring note, “In Search of Canyons” is a Southern-slanted garage rocker, while “Straight-Backed and Undeclared” is an eclectic pop descendent of something The Decembrists might string together.

While “My Hands Will Paint Pictures On Your Tsar” and “Mussolini’s Eyes” are a bit abstract at face value, they’re nonetheless stacked with provocative metaphors. The finale “Handbags & Hand Grenades” features the best of both worlds, ingeniously framing the complex issue of war within the context of a movie set that spans over six minutes (filled by several epic swells and tempo shifts). Even if these concepts and soundscapes aren’t destined for commercial radio, the combination is more impressive and cohesive than most of the indie underground.