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Fluxury: Perishable Goods

Release

Style

There’s so much music released these days that being original isn’t easy. And yet, from time to time, you can find a band that produces its own sound. The problem is however, it’s not easy to appreciate the originality either. It’s possible you don’t like it and you put it aside without giving it a second chance. Many managers missed a lot of money because of their ignorance. I’m not claiming to have found the newest Yes, Genesis or Beatles but I certainly didn’t fully understand this music when I reviewed the EP “Me, the Enemy” from this Dutch band Fluxury. Although all 5 tracks of that EP are now on this full album “Perishable Goods”, they suddenly sound a lot better. Is it because I listened to them more often now or because they sound better when they are played within this concept album? I don’t really know but this album is something special.

Three female lead vocals (even four: Marjon Bolck is only mentioned next to the lyrics and not in the musicians list) and one male vocal is something a lot of bands will envy. And the originality mainly comes from the vocals. Almost every vocal melody steps beside the conventianal line you would expect, so it takes quite a few auditions to get used to them. But once you do, you feel that every dissonance you heard the first time is in fact not dissonant at all. The vocals all have a jazzy feeling, so it wouldn’t surprise me if their roots are lying in that musical direction.

The music follows a bit the same feeling, with from time to time some beautiful solos and riffs that as in every good concept album return often in different places in different disguises.

Every time you hear it, you discover something new. For example, the opening track “Me, the Enemy”, opens with a piano riff while the guitar and keyboards play something different. Sometimes, as in the quiet bridge of this track, there’s some sort of canon between the instruments and the vocals. What was sung in the previous piece is now taken over by an instrument while the vocals do something new. I’m sure there are some other links, I haven’t discovered yet, so I keep on listening and I keep on digging into the world of Fluxury.

The title track starts as a funky, jazzy soul song, changes into an instrumental semi ballad with great piano and guitar parts, returns to the funky part and ends as a real symphonic rocksong. The ten minutes flew by in a few seconds.

Another example of the multiple links are “Nothing’s safe” and “Heaven and Hell”, two tracks that at first seem new but after a few times you hear that they contain references to all the previous songs of the album.

So a great album, although I’m a bit afraid that not everybody will give it the opportunity to grow. I liked every minute of it.

Musicians

Me, the enemy (4:43)
After the revolution (2:51)
Safety first (5:07)
Light of other days (6:09)
I will be there (2:49)
Surrender (2:39)
Dust settled down (4:42)
Perishable goods (10:21)
Symmetry (1:45)
Nothing's safe (6:43)
Heaven and hell (9:09)
Panta rei (2:36)

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Last updated: 02 november 2005 .
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