"I thought your poetry was sometimes good."
Brent Black | , USA | 07/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is in my opinion, hands down, the best early Felt album. Maurice Deebank's guitar shines. The guitar interplay is bright, concise & sharp, & unlike the subsequent 1985 album Ignite The Seven Cannons, which also features the guitar interplay of Lawrence & Deebank, the tones are clean & unmuddied. If you're buying the Felt re-issues, this release is #3. Like the rest, it comes in a thin cardboard jacket with minimal artwork & no liner notes, & which usually include only a single B&W picture of Lawrence on the interior gatefold. As an overall effect, I like what they have done with the packaging, although I tend to prefer the uniformity of a standard Jewel case for releases which I collect. This is actually Felt's first full length album."
Felt goes pop!
Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 01/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Strange Idols" marks a significant development in Felt's evolution. Firstly, this is the album where drummer Gary Ainge ditched his cymbal-less, Moe Tucker tom pounding style, and adopted a conventional set-up with a cracking snare drum and high-hat. This changed Felt's sound profoundly, making it more conventionally poppy in feel. Secondly, songs are sped up and shortened to the 3 ½ minute mark, eschewing the mesmerizing but lengthy, noodling passages of previous albums, while adhering more closely to verse-chorus-verse pop structure. Thirdly, producer John Leckie provides a bright, crisp, crystal clear sound, stripping away the dark, gauzy atmosphere that characterized prior releases. I'm not sure if Leckie deserves the credit or if Felt was already headed that way, but this was as bold of a leap forward as the Go-Betweens huge growth-spurt from "Send Me a Lullaby" to "Before Hollywood." The brooding, reverb-soaked atmosphere of earlier efforts suited Felt beautifully, but this newfound brightness opens them up to countless new possibilities in pop's pastures.
But do all these changes mean Felt sold out? Hardly.
Felt's basic MO remains: lead guitarist Maurice Deebank still spins gloriously melodic, shimmeringly ornate, and dexterously intricate melodies over singer Lawrence Heyward's lush, acoustic-strummed chords, all interspersed by the latter's cool Lou Reed meets Tom Verlaine vocals. But rather than sound like two guys jamming in a bedroom, they place this in the context of three minute pop, and the results are absolutely stunning. If anything, this new adherence to conventional pop structure brings out even more of the aching beauty in Deebank and Heyward's playing.
Bright, super melodic, and sometimes catchy as hell, "Strange Idols" might easily be Felt's best album. Heyward and Deebank's guitars interweave throughout, forming a shimmering, dizzying, jewel-like tapestry, enhanced by Leckie's clearer sound. Solid and upfront drums forcefully anchor the songs. Felt's propensity for brooding moodiness remains intact, particularly on the gorgeously melodic "Vasco de Gama" and "Crystal Ball," but even the upbeat songs possess that Felt-like air of melancholy. "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" is easily one of the most gloriously majestic pop gems of their entire career. The upbeat "Roman Litter" and "Spanish House" are so catchy that one wonders why they weren't singles. Deebank's noodly, Durutti Column-esque instrumentals serve to balance the poppier moods. This is one of Felt's very best albums and a perfect intro for newcomers.
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1