The Fresh & Onlys - Play It Strange (2010) [In the Red] // Grade: B

San Francisc’s The Fresh & Onlys should not be lumped into the category of retro resurgence bands. They may have a 60s inspired garage rock meets lo-fi psychedelic pop sound but they are more like a shadow of the past with various influences trickling in and out than a replication of a sound of yesteryear. It has a familiarity about it yet at the same time sounds new, refreshing and engaging.

Their latest and third full album, Play It Strange is totally a stellar listen from start to finish. It’s full of jaunty upbeat tracks that equally grab your attention and while works fittingly into the background soundtrack of your day. This album tends to play towards a more cohesive melodic pop vibe than their previous two albums. This may have to do with the fact that the band has shifted out of their lo-fi analog home studio and into a proper studio with producer Tim Green to boot.

Often a band’s aesthetic can get lost when they shift from DIY to studio but that’s the case here. If anything, Play It Strange feels like a step in the right direction for the band. Singer Tim Cohen’s voice flows foggily yet prominent throughout the subtle eclectic mixture of instrumentals. His voice seems to fit better on this album fluctuating between airy romanticism, angst whininess and banal disinterest but never sounding out of place. There is that sense of rushed urgency that you often feel with punk music that carries throughout the album which is largely due to the awesome fast paced drumming (or a possible undertone from recording & mixing the album in a week).

Old school country flair is ribboned throughout tracks “Waterfall” (the wandering guitar riffs are fab), “Until The End of Time”, and “Red Light Green Light,” while tracks “All Shook Up,” “Plague of Frogs” are reminiscent of 60s garage-pop. Not to be missed are catchy tracks “Fascinated,” “Summer of Love,” and “I’m a Thief” but album highlight is definitely the 7 plus minute song “Tropical Island Suite.” On the surface is seems to be a fairly repetitive melody except that the track is split on the opposite ends of the rhythm spectrum with a great distorted noise guitar riff sandwiched in the middle.

The Fresh & Onlys just finished up a North American (with Royal Baths and Clinic) but hopefully they keep making their touring rounds as I’m sure they put on a hell of a show! Play It Strange is the perfect distraction from family embarrassments and dramas this Thanksgiving. A good bellowing of “Be My Hooker” chorus, “It may be right, it may be wrong…be…my…hooker!” is sure to create that much needed distance between you and your relatives.

- purpleplaid