Review Summary: Mother Falcon is a symphonic force to be reckoned with, both in size and talent. Oscillating in numbers of skilled musicians, Mother Falcon is an upcoming baroque pop/indie-rock band that is set to soar higher with each release.
The second full-length from this nearly-20 piece indie orchestra has such a unique sound and vibrant tone, that it has earned an indefinite place in my music collection.
Dreamy symphonic indie rock, Mother Falcon's musical abilities surpass expectations with complex rhythms, varying vocalists, and swirling melodies to stir your soul. Despite the larger number of musicians in Mother Falcon, their sound can range from the ear-engulfing to quaintly intimate in
You Knew.
A higher production quality from their previous releases (
Still Life EP, 2010 and
Alhambra, 2011), Mother Falcon could quickly secure a place in the music world with their symphonic prowess. There is truth to the old strength-in-numbers adage. "Porcelain" contains folksy musicality, while the frenetic "Dirty Summer" has a charismatic Arcade Fire-meets-Beirut charm. The entire album consists of independently strong and infectious tunes.
"What's the Matter" begins with a somber, swift chant, progresses into a layering of vocals and haunting beats. The song transitions in an almost war-like pulse, with sliding strings growing until a crux of drifting soprano voices, and closes with the remaining two minutes of the song in a chaotic disarray of minor notes. The screeching strings and bellowing basses prove that Mother Falcon isn't afraid to experiment with a darker side.
"Sleep" carves out a different path from other album tracks, heavily featuring the vocalists before bursting into a cacophonous reverie of strings, piano, and percussion. The build and layering in "Sleep" hustles the listener along, only to lay you down gently on a soft bed of melancholy at its resolution. Following in the despondent tone, "My Majesty of Madness" shares at first a vocal kinship with PJ Harvey's
White Chalk or perhaps My Brightest Diamond's
Bring Me the Workhorse.
Their next album,
MF Computer is set to release March 18th, 2014 on Bandcamp and iTunes. A cover album (or "re-imagining" as noted on the pre-release page) of Radiohead's
OK Computer, Mother Falcon has already released a teaser with their rendition of "Paranoid Android" on Bandcamp.
Compelling, aurally charming, and providing a limitless possibility of avian-related puns, Mother Falcon is a dynamic collection of musical artists, leaving a strong imprint in the indie-rock world with
You Knew.
