Ball of Flame Shoot Fire - "Pots and Knives"

The Brooklyn via Pittsburgh band Ball of Flame Shoot Fire make some of the best, most unclassifiable, and quirkiest art-pop on their excellent second album Pots and Knives. They just released it on their Bandcamp page for a limited time as a free download. The eclectic 5-piece band has played with like-minded bands such as Man Man, Yeasayer, Here We Go Magic and Grizzly Bear.

“Cod” opens the kaleidoscopic album with spacey, floating synths and horns before turning into a cabaret-style, sea-shanty sing-along. The first single “Keep House” features falsetto vocals and a funky groove incorporated with twinkling disco synths for a standout moment. The strange psychedelia of “orz” features surging bursts of abrasive noise in between campy, talk/sung verses. “Flintlock” is a favorite with musical theatre flair, schizophrenic vocals, tinny guitars and a jubilant horn melody you will be humming the rest of the day. Another favorite “Little Accountant” features skronky horns and a rootsy sound, like if The Band had backed up Bryan Ferry or Bowie instead of Dylan with vocalist Jess Tambellini’s unhinged vocal stylings. The deadened drums and alien-sounding fractured synths make “The Gliave” sound like it is being beamed straight from CBGB’s from 1977. Another standout, the twitchy “Swamp Talk” is led by a tight, funky bass line and colorful vocals with ringing guitars and atmospheric keyboards building a dense backdrop befitting the song title.

The beyond experimental Pots and Knives may not be for everyone but I can’t get enough of the weird but rewarding melodies and the band’s unique sound.


Download Pots and Knives here: http://ballofflameshootfire.bandcamp.com/album/pots-and-knives

Download the song "orz" here: https://sites.google.com/site/ballofflamefiles/orz/orz.mp3

For more info click here: http://www.myspace.com/bofsf and http://ballofflameblog.blogspot.com/