Stationed in Oakland, California, Felsen plays the kind of music that’s easy to groove to as well as to kick back to and absorb the poetic content. By incorporating flexible and imaginative instrumental passages with attentive lyrics addressing the challenges of today’s world, the band forges shapes and sounds aimed to keep the listener awake and alert.
An atmospheric air, spiked with blasts of fuzzy distortion, seem to be the driving force behind the material here on the group’s new and fourth album, I Don’t Know How To Talk Anymore, which echoes select factions of bands like Pink Floyd, Teenage Fanclub and Gigolo Aunts.
The vocals are breezy, lilting and casual, while the band is as dexterous as they come. Snaking their way through mazes of digging hooks and compelling patterns, Felson peddles modern rock with enough of a novel slant to make them special among the cookie-cutter crowd.
Penciled in as my personal favorite songs on the record are “Greetings From The Ghost Of Heavy Metal Rock And Roll,” “All You Gotta Do Is Smile,” the title track, “Tokyo Electric” and “Rock And Roll’s Not Dead,” but the entire collection flows, floats and flourishes with excitement.
Aside from the typical pop rock line-up of guitars, bass and drums, Felsen adds a frequent elegant touch to the show in the form of orchestrated string arrangements.
Flush with light, color and accessible experimentation, I Don’t Know How To Talk Anymore is an album that all rock fans need to hear.
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