Album of the Week: Fulton Lights / The Way We Ride

The weather took a bit of a turn earlier this week, and it left me with that melancholy winter feeling. When I listened to Fulton Lights' The Way We Ride, it seemed to capture that feeling for me. But The Way We Ride is more than that - it is a dark, layered, sonic masterpiece. The album is out now on Catbird Records, the boutique label associated with fabulous music blog The Catbirdseat. Each release on Catbird is given a limited physical release in special packaging. The Way We Ride is available in a 7" sleeve with artwork by Jez Burrows of Evening Tweed. Ryan likens to record to Kid A, writing, "there are some really intriguing juxtapositions going on with this record. It's like a team of robot scientists trying to piece together a Sergio Leone Western from dusty celluloid remnants, circa 2208 A.D."

The title track captures that perfectly - a dark western rhythm with Andrew Spencer Goldman's voice distorted. The song is layered with strings and static creating a very eerie feel, as Goldman sings, "If there's a God/ He's turned his back on me." Throughout the record, Goldman - the brainchild behind Fulton Light - strings songs together to create a narrative, completing each song with a mix of sounds and instruments. At times it recalls Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade, but sometimes it sounds wholly original. You can stream it and pay what you want here.

MP3 - "The Way We Ride" - Fulton Lights