In an episode of Frasier, the good doctor is tasked with writing a jingle for his radio show. The short ditty swells into an epic, rounded out by a string section, dramatic monologue, even bagpipes. When reminded that sometimes “less is more,” Frasier snaps, “Ah, yes! But if less is more, then think of how much more more will be!”
This attitude comes to mind listening to Fucked Up – and especially their ambitious Chinese zodiac-themed singles, the latest of which is Year Of The Hare. Broaching 22 minutes in length, Hare unfolds not merely as a dismantling of hardcore form and cliché (they’ve done this before, yawn), but as a deconstruction of the whole recording process. White noise hisses, pianos tinkle, throats clear, feet shuffle and the sound moves between stereo channels like it’s cutting out. It’s the band’s plainest meta-record yet: a recording that calls deliberate attention to its own materiality as a recording.
But the song itself feels, regrettably, beholden to Fucked Up formula, as coiled guitars crescendo and finally break under the force of singer Damian Abraham’s mighty choruses. While basically satisfying as a piece of music – and even more as an experiment/idea – it’s a rare case of Fucked Up’s patented more-is-more approach revealing something less.
Top track: Year Of The Hare