Review Summary: An understated and subtle collection of lo-fi indie tunes which slowly grows into one of the top albums of 2019 (at least it did for me)
Portland, Oregon based indie band Campfires came out with their fifth album, and first in five years, in August this year. I’d never heard of the band, but given that I was born and raised in Oregon, I decided to check out the album. Upon first listen, it seemed fairly unimpressive to me, but something about it made me give it another try (and then another…). By now it’s fighting for a spot as one of my top albums of the year, so it deserves a brief write-up.
The album, Fare Trax, is made up of thirteen tracks, none of which exceed three and a half minutes, with many much shorter. They would mainly be categorized as lo-fi indie rock and folk, with a couple psychedelic interludes mixed in. The whole album works nicely as mellow background music, but it holds up well to repeated listening, and it’s grown on me substantially with every listen. There are several clear highlights, notably “Candle Park” with its engagingly nostalgic melody and “Permanent Peace”, with excellent lyrics. Ultimately, Fare Trax shines as one of those records where you can enjoy it on many levels, regardless of how closely you are paying attention upon any given listen.
This album didn’t get much attention on Sputnik when it came out, and even now the rating here is unimpressive. However, I definitely recommend giving this one a chance. After all, the entire album is only 32 minutes long. Any one with an interest in lo-fi, indie, or folk music may find something here to appreciate.
