Thicker Than Water
Free Blood escapes spin-off syndrome with their debut
Free Blood
The Singles
Released on Nov 11, 2008
New York has always been a hub for creativity. From Dylan putzing around Green Street in the 60s to the fiery spirit of the punk movement in the 70s and 80s, the five boroughs have hosted many a free-spirit and creative genius and more are yet to come. The latest and greatest spawn of the scene are eclectic rockers Free Blood. Free Blood started when John Pugh, the former leader of punk-dance sensations !!!, left the band to pursue a project with his friend Madeline Davy, a fashion designer in New York. The two decided to make beautiful music inspired by the boroughs of New York City. The eclectic Brooklyn warehouse parties and the thumping beats of dance music that the two artists both loved fused together to create Free Blood’s debut release The Singles.
You can just imagine a bunch of sweaty people jumping around to “Never Hear Surf Music Again” in some seedy warehouse in Brooklyn. Free Blood mixes funky bass lines with strange sounds to make the strangest dance song to date. It refuses to keep still, constantly changing in its five minutes of existence. Many of the songs on The Singles are like this, a crazy build-up to complete musical insanity. Free Blood does run in the same vein of !!! but Pugh and Davy add something more to their music that sets them apart. Free Blood’s style is much more aggressive than !!!, adding more percussive elements to The Singles than on any other !!! track. “Royal Family” adds exotic clinking noises and deep drum hits to an already eclectic composition. The piano and strings are merely accompaniments to the drum heavy song.
The second half of The Singles is comprised of remixes of each original Free Blood track, with the exception of “Quick and Painful.” It’s interesting to see how others can manipulate another artist’s work into something completely different. Greg Wilson’s remix of “Grumpy” is a complete 180 from what Free Blood’s original mix is. Wilson decides to take it slower than Free Blood does, taking “Grumpy”’s cello part and using it continually throughout his mix. Unlike most of the remixes on The Singles Wilson takes a cut and paste approach to “Grumpy” that builds upon itself slowly as a constant force. The remix of “Weekend Condition” goes a completely different route, enhancing Free Blood’s song with original elements. The remixes don’t shine as brightly as the originals, but are a welcomed addition to the album. The Singles is a non-stop party in your ears and when it’s over Free Blood’s music continue to follow you throughout your day, keeping your body in constant motion with their funky beats.
High Point
Pugh and Davy’s interchanging voices on “Quick and Painful” make it one of the best tracks on The Singles.
Low Point
The remix portion of the album can be a little tiresome, especially after listen to all the original mixes right beforehand.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Nov 13, 2008 @ 9:30 am