lambchops's Full Review: The Folk Implosion (Palm of My Hand) [EP] by The F...
It was in 1995 that Folk Implosion graced the world with their only hit song. Natural One, a part of the soundtrack for the shocking film Kids, was a radio and MTV hit. In addition, the Kids soundtrack was almost entirely populated by Folk Implosion tracks. With that said, Natural One was unfortunately the duo’s career highlight…but not the highlight of prolific music man Lou Barlow’s career.
Lou Barlow is best known for his continuing work with lo-fi Massachusetts indie rock band Sebadoh. It was after hearing this band that singer-songwriter John Davis first contacted Barlow and thusly Folk Implosion was born. It took only a year of correspondence and work before the two quietly released their 1994 debut, Take A Look Inside. Kids appeared just a year later and Natural One was a funky, free-flowing hit. Natural One was a hit in part due to the extensive studio work that transformed the usually stripped-down duo into a somewhat trip-hop band. Unfortunately, it was atypical to the majority of Folk Implosion music and fans who picked up other albums and EPs found themselves rather disappointed with the bland music.
And yeah…bland is a good descriptor when it comes to much of Folk Implosion’s back catalogue. Two more full-length albums appeared including 1997’s Dare to Be Surprised and 1999’s major label boring crossover One Part Lullaby. Between the release of LPs, Barlow and Davis filled their time recording and releasing a string of overall mediocre EPs.
One of these EP recordings is the self-titled 1996 Communion release. Seven songs long, it seems on the surface to be something a bit more than a simple EP. On the contrary, these songs range from less than two minutes to just over two minutes with the final track resting at nearly four minutes. With the first two tracks, Palm of My Hand and Mood Swing initially part of a 7” single and the remaining five songs part of the Electric Idiot EP, this isn’t new material. Some of the songs are unemotional indie pop songs while others are simply too strange and unappetizing to stomach.
The Folk Implosion EP is a disappointment…especially in the wake of Natural One. It was a badly timed release for an inept collection of music.
Fortunately, Palm of My Hand is a catchy pop track with just enough of a lo-fi flavor to entertain and stimulate more than most pop. But a problem does exist…it seems pointless and without beginning and end. If the idea had been expanded, it may have been acceptable. The same thing applies to the second mediocre, muffled pop track Mood Swing. The melody and beat are good, but the idea is something badly and unnecessarily rehashed from the worst of a mix of Stone Roses and Apples in Stereo. While a decent attempt, Mood Swing leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
From there, the EP gets worse, much worse. Unpredictably paced, pointlessly arranged, and badly navigated Opening Day is nothing less than aurally offensive. Electric Idiot suffers the same fate with what seems like a forced punk attitude and a difficult to listen to set of musical ideas. It’s highly suggested that listeners not even get to the point of hearing Lo-Fi Suicide, I Reserve the Right to Rock and the overlong and inexcusably sucky Final Score.
Barlow and Davis have talent. Barlow’s is apparent throughout the work of Sebadoh while Davis has managed to amass a decent solo catalogue during the 1990’s. While Natural One was a great single, Folk Implosion has to date been completely unable to match this commercial or critical success. It’s a shame, because deep down, buried beneath layers of dull guitars and bad production rested a possible diamond in the round.
Alas, Folk Implosion ceased to exist in 2001 with the departure of Davis. Whether or not his move will prove positive is yet to be seen, but the fact remains that little can be worse than this self-titled EP.
Rating: 2/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Palm of My Hand
02. Mood Swing
03. Opening Day
04. Electric Idiot
05. Lo-Fi Suicide
06. I Reserve the Right to Rock
07. Final Score
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