PRESS

Fire On Fire | Review

Nov 25, 2007

Stereogum.com | Brandon Stosuy

Band To Watch

Fire On Fire, a super Portland, Maine quintet featuring ex members of
Cerberus Shoal, wail on their acoustic instruments -- stand-up bass,
mandolin, banjo, harmonium, accordion, guitar, tamboritza, jembe, dobro, etc
-- and harmonize like nobody's business. They all live in the same house,
which has seemingly forged them into one seamless brimstoned, rural-gospel
choir rattling out some of the prettiest harmonies this side of Young God
labelmates, Akron/Family, only more countrified. Our favorite tune from the
band's debut five-song EP is its opener "Hangman," which gathers momentum on
a strange Animal Collective-in-a-hay-field vocal pulse. Please accept it as
the official Fire On Fire intro sermon after the jump. And keep in mind:
Everyone, even the worst man, has friends.

That warble really is so great and knotty. The group has a transcendent
pulse to 'em -- sounds cheesy, but take a look at a back-porch rendition of
"Amnesia," and notice how it all sorta crackles and waves? Right, like fire.

The 5-song EP, hand-screened heavy stock/velum packaging in a limited
edition of 1,000, is only available at the Young God site and at the band's
live show. Look for their debut full-length of all new material to show up
on Young God sometime next year.