Fort Nightly

Based on some good reviews I picked up the debut album by a band called White Rabbits called Fort Nightly. I've listened to it three times and it's good stuff, with some lively beats. For some reason, though, it hasn't gotten under my skin at all, and I'm unmoved by it.

The band describes themselves as "honky-tonk calypso." The honky-tonk part is easy to identify, as the first number, Kid on My Shoulder, begins with a hard-driving piano. The band employs two drummers, so all of the songs are very percussive. I didn't detect a calypso flavor until the last song, Tourist Trap, which sounded a bit like a rumba.

The first half of the album continues that honky-tonk sound, with While We Go Dancing is my favorite track (love the mandolin). Then, in the second half, they get a little experimental and sound a bit like Radiohead, particularly on the title track and a song called March of the Camels. Nothing wrong with that, but it gives the record a schizo feel.

I can't pinpoint what it is that didn't make me love this album. Perhaps I would have gotten a better sense of it with a lyric sheet, as I didn't find the lyrics readily discernible, so I have no idea what the songs are about. Seems like a lot of groups are foregoing lyric sheets these days, and I'm kind of bummed about that.