Album Of The Week: New Fries’ More

Experimental music is on a very broad spectrum; it can’t be pinned down and the listener never really knows what to expect when they press play for the first time. It also can be mind-numbingly boring or blissfully innovative. Toronto’s New Fries definitely bring the latter with their brand new album More. It combines straight-up noise with a groovy, bass-driven sound that’s weirdly captivating. The band is fearless in the way they continuously venture through rare territory to create purely original music.

It would be unusual to refer to New Fries as just a band. They combine elements of performance and visual art with the structure of a band to achieve the extraordinary. The quartet of Tim Fagan, Jenny Gitman, Anni Spadafora and Ryan Carley fuse styles reminiscent of Roxy Music, The Velvet Underground, Lightning Bolt and New York City’s no wave scene. All of that craziness results in entertaining tunes that’ll get you hooked and make your mind work.

Despite the many genres of music that exist, there are still a lot of possibilities to be explored. New Fries show that in their latest album. It proves that musicians are nowhere near done when it comes to going beyond basic song structures. There’s a bit of refreshing trailblazing going on with this act from up north. To see how refreshing it really is, check out the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week:

With a noisy introduction, “Jz III” starts the album off with a groove that’s accentuated by a killer bass line. There’s a bunch of distorted synth that adds another wild musical dimension to a song that’ll definitely get people to dance. “90 Yr Old Girl” has a spooky introduction and then the bass hits again. A plethora of abstract rhythms adorn the song. Another weird one is “Mary Poppins’ Pockets” with pleasant synth and a triumphant vibe.

Beginning on December 1 at The Garrison in Toronto, New Fries will be embarking on a mini-tour throughout their home province of Ontario, Canada, that’ll conclude at Silence in Guelph on December 4. Let’s hope they hop over stateside in the near future. It must be quite the experience to see this act live. Whether they come to your friendly neighborhood music venue or not, grab a copy of More. It’s something different for the senses, and you’re going to enjoy it.

Stream New Fries’ More via Bandcamp: newfries.bandcamp.com/album/more; Like New Fries on Facebook: facebook.com/newfries