Fol Chen

Part II: The New December (Asthmatic Kitty)

By Dana Raidt
Published: July 13th, 2010 | 7:00am

Fol Chen’s Part II: The New December, like their first album, Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made, walks the line between futuristic dance-pop and Armageddon. Part I succeeded in both realms, for the most part remaining an inside joke to which the listener was not privy. It was almost an experiment in experimentation—conceptual, with the point never really becoming clear—and Part II is more of the same.

Like an alien version of Odysseus’ sirens, the Los Angeles band’s beeps, blips, and effects make Part II sound like post-apocalyptic Top 40—assuming, of course, there is still Top 40 after the apocalypse. From the electronic-leaning (“They Came to Me,” “C/U”) to the dark (“This is Where the Road Belongs”) to the traditional (“The Holes”), all of the songs are addicting and entrancing in their own ways.

The record flies by, and for such idiosyncratic music, drinking Part II’s Kool-Aid is extremely easy. Despite odd structures and a convoluted back story, it can be appreciated as fun, “arty” music that isn’t too challenging. But for those who like to understand what they listen to, it might be a little difficult to swallow.

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Asthmatic Kitty Records