[rating=8.00]
Disappear is a soundtrack for purposeful living in an often seemingly purposeless world. Jared Falcon’s songs, discovered on cassettes in a storage locker in 1988 after he was institutionalized, inspired singer-songwriter Neil Rosen (vocals, guitar) and his friend/band mate Shannon Ferguson (lead guitar) to record their junior-high school chum’s compositions. Some of Jared’s songs appeared on Falcon’s 2008 EP. Now, with Disappear, their first full-length record, the Brooklyn-based band offers a ten-pack of moody, catchy songs, which Rosen says were partly inspired by Sean Penn’s film Into the Wild.
Say Goodbye” opens the set and sounds a bit like a modern Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today.” Atmospheric, haunting background vocals balance the racing tempo and chants, while Rosen sings in his signature style. Moby could’ve written “Worries.” Often mixing low-tech (e.g., whistling) with synths and samples, other highlights are “Key of Dreams, ” “Credit Cards,” and “What Do You Know.” Often classified as punk, the well-versed musicians, including bassist Christian Bongers and drummer Jason Molina, form a tight presentation. Fans of The Magic Numbers, The Flaming Lips, and Pavement will want to find room in their playlist for this. This will be a much-admired indie release this year.
