Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat Vinyl Record

A quantum leap forward, BLUEBERRY BOAT expands the hallucinatory landscapes of the Fiery Furnaces' debut to wider, indefinable vistas. Though a 1960s aesthetic still looms large in the band's sound, this sophomore effort piles on so many different styles--folk, garage rock, showtunes, campfire sing-alongs, jangle-pop, prog-rock, and (most notably here) samples, beats, and loops--that it is nearly impossible to absorb in one listen. Endearing melodic hooks and a sense of child-like wonder are still prevalent, but BLUEBERRYBOAT feels more like a pop-music history lesson--one rooted in 1969, but looking in every direction at once.

Whereas GALLOWSBIRD'S BARK spun listeners through a stylistic merry-go-round from song to song, BLUEBERRY BOAT achieves the same purpose within the confines of each tune. Tempo shifts and sudden explosions of instrumental activity (both chaotic and traditional) keep each track morphing and shifting. The presence of electronics offsets the retro vibe, yet complements the Freidberger siblings' surreal lyrics (which are sometimes only nonsensical sounds). Bursting at the seams with invention, BLUEBERRY BOAT is the kind of album that may take several listens to understand--but such study will yield deep rewards.