How many famous bands have come out of Switzerland? I think for most people, however knowledgeable, the answer's range would be limited by the number of fingers on (maybe) both hands. My aim with this post, therefore, is to try to get a great new Swiss band noticed, and this week my pick falls on Fluxious, an outstanding female-fronted ensemble
with conspicuously eclectic approach to making fun music.
Why
so Serious? is something you won't here every day. Fluxious seamlessly combine
heavy distorted riffs with funky, jazzy, reggae grooves, avantgarde craziness
and progressive technicalities, and manage to produce simply rocking
unpretentious music with catchy soloing, guitar licks, and memorable vocal
lines. The result here is something that will satisfy both those who look for something original and experimental and will not throw off those who simply want to enjoy the music and don't care for complexity.
This
album is heavy and light at the same time, practically every second of it,
partly because of the omnipresent audible bass, which compensates for the parts
where the guitars are not heavy, partly because of the drumming, which is
generally very easy-going. The vocals are clean but generally have a harsher
edge to them, but capable of conveying a wide range of emotions.
In
the end, Why so Serious? is an album to have fun to. One might have to get
accustomed to the heavy, bass-dominated sound, but it should not take too long
to discover all the great hooks that Fluxious discharge either through vocals
(the chorus of "Voodoo Mood"), guitars (great hooks on pretty much
every song) or bass (the slap bass on "Games'n'Trials" and the chorus on
"Unfair to You"). They deliver on every front.
Make sure to check these cats out, who are for me one of the
most enjoyable discoveries this year.
