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Fosdyk Well, "Slumber and Stark Lots"
Scott Ferguson has a unique voice. Of course, like fingerprints, every voice is unique to a degree. But Scott has found his voice, and conformed it to his introspectral lyrics. Whether it is hiding submerged beneath the shadows of etheric guitar work, or rising triumphant into the light above the steady tambourine pulse and murmur of electronics, the experience is haunting. Listening to this succinct EP is like brushing up with a ghost in the haunted Midwest landscape. While the machines of industry may be dead or dying, something invisible still moves among their rusted skeletons, in the empty homes. And now I can hear them.
The first song, "Slumber" has ominous portent, and is an esoteric homily to crows, doll houses, punctured lungs, and the long sleep of death. Propelled by driving guitar rhythms, courtesy of Sean Whitaker, who recorded and mixed the disc, and simple but effective drums, the piece fades out into a swirl of upper octave, hazy clarinet fritter. "Wise Wide O" begins with schizoid vocals bleeding from a telephone or cheap radio speaker. Some nice synth moments, mimicking a harps pluck, add a brighter tinge to dark lyrics, minor key finger picking, and dissonant drone, carrying over into the next song "Corpse Candles."
The centerpiece of the album, both literal and figurative, is "Archover." This is the song I find myself humming while at work, or running through my head while out on a walk. Compared to the other pieces it is stripped down, and finds the singer lingering over the words, sustaining them longer, holding the notes. The acoustic guitar is elegiac and the synth is somber. It is followed by a very brief number, consisting of distorted piano scales, and unintelligible whispers. "Stark Lots" emphasizes the drums more than any other track, as the cymbal is run through some kind of phase effect. Spacey electronic washes and bright colors give it a treatment that would work as the soundtrack for a latter day episode of the Twilight Zone.
This EP is a hopeful first utterance from Fosdyk Well. The group shows an adroit skill at songwriting and structure, adding many tenebrous elements which contribute to the tone of the seven songs as a whole. For my part, I’d like to listen to what they do on a full length album, with the hopes that they will be taking greater risks.
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