Category:
Folk

Try if you like:
Love, Mogwai, Wooden Wand

It’s a collective, it’s a way of life, it’s a physical presence, it’s a dessert topping; whatever mélange of hip and mystique surrounds Sunburned Hand Of The Man, the proof has to be in the music, and that is where the rep justifiably resides. Fire Escape continues the exploration into sounds, splices and words that make Sunburned Hand of the Man one of the most consistently inventive and inspiring listens. This release is kind of an outsider/fan’s take on the legend. Whoever comprised  the band at the time of recording turned the rough tapes over to Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, who took it from there to mix his version of what he wanted the band to sound like. The results are edgy and free, with folk and post-rock happily mixing with some vague Krautrock touches. Let’s call it trad ambient, or visionary lo-fi. Hebden plays a little piano and mans the drum machine on a few tracks, but mostly he mashes and caresses the tapes. Additional guests like Vibracatherdral’s Michael Flower and Bridget Hayden (both chipping in on a slew of instruments, most notably trumpet, viola, winds) assist more regular regulars John Moloney and Robert Thomas to create nine majestic cuts, especially “what color is the sky in the world you live in?” and “raw backwards.”

To say a band can’t make a bad record is always an exposure of your stupidity; remember, Clapton went from “God” to “Lay Down Sally” right quick. But in the crap shoot that is inspiration, “Fire Escape” shows Sunburned Hand of The Man to still be a trend-setter, not slipping in vision nor in variety of ideas that span the gamut from folk and country blues to ambient and found soundscapes.