It’s been eleven years since we’ve formally heard from the Friedberger siblings in tandem. Today I learned that The Fiery Furnaces released a new single, “Down at the So and So on Somewhere,” this past June. It’s easy to see why it didn’t make any big waves. Almost as a rebuke to any weighty expectations and counter to their past complex arrangements, this track is more like an extended singular strutting musical sketch over which Eleanor spits mad verse:
Trigonometry tutors often go to dance class three times a week
I can picture powder blue matches in the mirrors
You check your time warp watch in the car
While it’s admittedly lightweight and exhibits the best of their humorous side, the internal hype in me desired something a bit more meaty – but it’s good to have them back to rekindle their unique brand of fractured pop. Their records are dense, strange, and chock full of killer hooks.