Free Friday: Arlo & The Otter - "A Study Of Small Chords"

Indie folk singer-songwriter Max Sollisch who records under the moniker Dolfish is also a part of the Columbus, Ohio folk rock band Arlo & The Otter who released their debut album, A Study Of Small Chords, last year on limited edition vinyl via King Electric Record Company and as a free download on their Bandcamp page.  Max delivers with his witty heartfelt wordplay and distinct voice but instead of Dolfish’s bluesy, finger-picked acoustic guitars the band, consisting of Jason Kluk-Barany, Adrian Jusdanis and Martin Stehli envelop him in sweeping and soaring violins, noisy guitar outbursts and haunting piano-led dirges.  Their art-rock take on folk music has an avant garde twist with spacious and intriguing arrangements along with off-kilter melodies for a headphones-worthy album that was meant to be devoured from beginning to end and back again.  The album was inspired by the strange recordings of a kid playing piano and pretending to be a stock car race announcer that Max found at an upstate New York estate sale.         

Album standouts include the opener, “Ode To Burdens” with its searing yet folksy violins, tumbling drums and twinkling piano riffs and “You Can’t Cry In Outer Space” which opens with some ragtime-like pianos and is highlighted by Max’s aching vocal performance.  Another standout is the solemn, homesick album closer, “Roanaoke, a song which Max also has recorded with Dolfish and includes some of the reel to reel recordings that the album was inspired by.

Download A Study Of Small Chords here:

 For more info: http://www.kingelectricrecords.com/index.html

Dolfish is currently touring Europe for the first time with some London stops that include DJ sets by Bob Nastanovich of Pavement. 

For more info: http://www.facebook.com/dolfishmusic and http://afternoonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/id-rather-disappear-than-stay-the-same