MV & EE’s new release, Fuzzweed, is a cosmic experimental mix of instruments, effects and styles that range from abstracted reverb to twangy blues. The Vermont-based duo’s combination of electronic effects and acoustic elements give a simultaneously grounding and illusory feel.
The overall range of the band’s musical tastes is first noticed on “Turbine.” The beginning of the song lifts listeners to a head-in-the-clouds state with a generated beat, fuzzy electric guitar, dominant up-beat acoustic strumming and inscrutable, flying vocals. Near the end, the music brings listeners back down to earth with the emergence of a reflective harmonica to convey a wayfaring street sound.
“Trailer Trash” starts out similarly, with a strum-emphasis acoustic guitar and soaring vocals, but this time, the electric guitar takes over. The last track on the record, “Poor Boy Excursions (i. Poor Boy ii. A Long Way From Home iii. Environments)” is a 19-and-a-half-minute trilogy compiled of all of the features heard in the previous recordings.
The first part of the song mixes Delta blues with an Appalachian sound for elaborate finger picking and slide guitar as extensive as in a Son House song. The second part reverts back to the artificially produced harmonies prominent throughout the album. The third part is a happy medium between the first two parts with deep electric blues guitar, tabla and percussion.
MV & EE’s extensive knowledge of instruments and ability to combine different styles is strikingly apparent. As a result, this psychedelic LP takes listeners on a musical journey through the past and future to evolve the present. Dive verdict: ?????
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