Rating: NNN
The first impression from It’s Not Fun And Games Unless Someone Loses An Eye, which kicks off this release by local spazz indie rockers Oh No Forest Fires, is how much influence producer Kenny Bridges had on the proceedings. From the inordinately long titles to controlled outbursts that explode in between dynamic guitar interplay, it feels very Theory Of Harmonial Value (accordion interlude aside).
But dig deeper into the debut and Oh No assert their own charming identity with complex four-minute ranging song structures and frequent jumps between stop-starts and protracted, frenetic guitar duels, while Matt Del Buono’s voice remains effectively subdued amidst the chaos.
Top track: Swing And A Misdemeanor
Oh No Forest Fires pull into Rolly’s Garage Saturday (January 17).
