Forrest Day - Forrest Day
2011, Ninth Street Opus
Tragedy and comedy are the twoextremes borne of the chaos of life. Tragedy is often accompanied by mirth, andcomedy often hides sadness at its core. The juxtaposition of these two extremesoffers insight into the madness that roils all of us, and the beginning ofunderstanding. If one were to write an academic paper on Forrest Day, thismight be the opening paragraph, for Day seems to understand theinteroperability of tragedy, comedy and chaos better than most. His debutalbum, with his like-named five piece band, is a treatise on the hardships andhard-won victories of life, seen through the wisdom of knowing sadness andhumor, and wrapped in an innovative blend of hip-hop, rock, jazz and electronicmusical sounds.
Day writes, raps and sings withoutfilters, discussing his own struggles with mental illness and coping withday-to-day life in song. The best of his material sounds like an ingeniousblend of Was (Not Was), Beck, They Might Be Giants and Fatboy Slim, alternatingbetween talk-sing and full-singing styles in a voice that's pleasantlyimperfect. Day exposes the humor in awkward moments, like on the opening track"Sleepwalk". This catchy, talk/sing number is born of rhythmicmadness and a varied arrangement with a Middle Eastern flavor. It's very rareto find anything in pop music that even approaches unique, yet Forrest Day justmight have a claim here. "Hyperactive" is catchy and incessant, witha stream-of-conscious lyrical makeup that keeps pounding away at your brainwith ideas. The allegory of both message and sound intrigues. "RiverRat" is incredibly infectious. If there's a bonafide pop and dance hit onthe album, this is it. Day turns wryly observational on "Baby Shoe",before launching into the declarative anthem "Everybody’s F###ing With MyMind". This high energy romp simply adds to the fire, and is itselfanother potential hit.
Day turns more mellow as the albumprogresses, capturing a distinctive groove with "Without A Trace"that's part mystery show theme song and part Spanish Jazz/Hip-Hop hybrid.Perhaps not as vibrant or mind-bending as some of his other material, Daymanages to such in listeners here with a quietly compelling number that slowlyand stealthily grabs more and more of your attention. "The Grease"sounds like The B-52's playing a James Bond theme with a rap/spoken-word vocalbased in madness. The disjointed and disturbed lyrics are compelling, beckoningyou on if simply to see where Day will end up. "A$$holes" has a reggaeflavor and an entertaining take on unemployment. Day goes all-vocal on"Headfirst", a self-dissection on motivation and creation. The mellowvibe here offsets a nervous energy that runs through the arrangement, creatingan interesting bit of cognitive conflict in the process. Forrest Dayconcludes with "It's Just Me", sounding like a hybrid of classic1950's pop and hip-hop, dressed up with mariachi horns. The laid back vibe hereis appealing, and the lyrical resolution of the tragic comedy is perfectly crafted.
Forrest Day is a revelatory introduction to both the man and the band.The intellect, energy, inspiration and pure musical genius of the album is hardto define, and impossible to ignore. Forrest Day is one of the mostinnovative albums to be released thus far in 2011, a year to be remembered asthe the one in which the pop music world finally saw the Forrest for the trees.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Forrest Day at www.forrestday.com or www.myspace.com/forrestday. Forrest Day drops on October 11, 2011. Amazon MP3
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