Fizzle Like A Flood
Fizzle Like A Flood
Ernest Jenning
One of the truly original voices coming from Omaha, former The Faint drummer Doug Kabourek (aka Fizzle Like A Flood) already has a relatively small output behind him (one single and two or one and a half full-lengths, depending on how you count them). He has managed to carve out a sound for himself, not readily comparable to anything else out there today. Sure, there are the Flaming Lips comparisons, but Fizzle Like A Flood is far too idiosyncratic to ever be confused with the kings of theatrical psych-rock. This 7-track mini-album serves to underline Kabourek’s densely layered and sardonic, yet always optimistic sound. It is the perfect distillation of what’s come before, as well as pointing the way to future musical possibilities.
Kabourek is best appreciated for his entire catalog, and this extended EP serves as a summary of sorts. On here, Kabourek digs out a couple of old (previously unreleased) gems and places them alongside new compositions, demonstrating both his range and his unified vision. Framed by the brief instrumental intro “Shutters Open” and the hard-hitting “Shutters Closed,” Kabourek returns to the sonic complexities of his debut album; a detailed and richly layered sound that’s hard to believe was created by Kabourek alone at home. The latter song is a cover of obscure Kabourek faves Tripmaster Monkey (who also wrote the song that gave Kabourek his artist name), demonstrating that while Kabourek’s dense production work does everything to confuse the clarity of his pop melodies, there’s no way to hide a great tune. “Love the Fuck,” a love song for his wife, borrows elements from “Shutters Closed,” again revealing how all elements of Kabourek’s music hang together and make perfect sense as a whole.
The layered instrumentals “Nothing Much” and “Something More,” meanwhile, strengthen the impression that this EP works as some sort of exorcism for Kabourek; both songs were originally performed by his first band, The Laces. The remaining songs, “Decide To Die” and “Rides To Get High,” may be the most exciting new tracks on the album; both inimitably Fizzle Like A Flood songs, yet pointing out a new possible direction for Kabourek. They combine his darkly optimistic density with more open-ended harmonies and a less blatantly confusing intricacy, without ever sacrificing the tension and complexity that makes Fizzle Like A Flood one of the most exciting and unjustly ignored bedroom rockers of today.
Fizzle Like a Flood: http://www.fizzlelikeaflood.com/
