Curators of all things homespun, in Faulty Toned Radio The Boats present their most versatile effort yet, augmenting their drinking songs and sea shanties with digital processing techniques. The plain melodic speaking continues; the same uncomplicated delight in the sound of, say, stones rubbing together still tinkers about; now there are simply some more ambiguous tonalities produced by sound seeping down through layers of digital processing.
It’s a boat thus peopled with keening melodic lines that parry and thrust through thick yet fragile layers of electronic synthesis; enthusiastic nursery-rhythms that are full of gentle jolts from rhythmic hiccups; and splashes of accordion that merge with rich and deep electronic textures to paint a blurry seascape.
At first, the move seems an outright success: the interactions are sharp and piquant, the colors varied and engaging. Midway through, however, the group ceases to shuffle the deck and appears paralyzed, as though they’ve seen their reflection in the mirror and are no longer able to envision anything else. Faulty Toned Radio adds a fresh layer of significance to the groups sound; now they need assume an attitude or series of questioning orientations to truly flesh it out.
Max Schaefer
*
