Customer Reviews

Second to the Last Frontier

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A few months ago, I came across Feral Children's SXSW EP, a four-song sampler showcasing some of the Seattle quintet's strongest tracks to date. If you were a fan of that EP too, than you'll be happy to know that all four of those songs can be found on Second To The Last Frontier, Feral Children's reissued full length, released last month. Although it may be a reissue, this album is Feral Children's grand introduction to fans outside the Seattle area, and it's safe to say they come out swinging; their raw and unruly Yeasayer-meets-Modest Mouse sound radiates from each of the twelve tracks on Frontier.

The album opens with singers Jim Cotton and Jeff Keenan trading vocal yelps on "Spy/Glass House," and never once lets up, or allows the listener to predict what they're going to hear next. "Billionaires vs Millionaires" plays like the best song Modest Mouse never wrote, while "Baby Joseph Stalin" is reminiscent of Man Man, with jumpy piano and maniacal laughter, with a little more melodic cohesion than Man Man are capable of, and "Jaundice Giraffe" is creepy in the best way possible, full of haunting vocal harmonies, echoed guitar riffs, and a refrain of "They love your skin / They love your yellow skin, they do."

A handful of tracks later and Frontier delivers another one-two punch with "Cannibal Prison" and "Lost In The Woods," the former focusing on Cotton's commanding vocals, with piano and guitar scales that beautifully crash into one another, and the latter a seven-minute plus epic that is Feral Children at their most restrained and, dare I say, mellow. Just like on their EP, Frontier closes with "Zhyghost", forcefully summing up the entire album with its galloping chords, tribal-sounding drums, and driven bass line.

Not very often does an album come along where recommending every track feels appropriate, but in this case it's hard to refrain from singing the praises of every vocal inflection, every mesmerizing guitar riff, and every well-written lyrical twist that comprises Frontier. As if it wasn't clear enough already, this album is going to blow your mind. Jump on the bandwagon now, before Pitchfork and Stereogum steal this band out of the unknown and place them where they rightfully belong, alongside their more successful indie-rock peers.

When I first ran into Feral Children my first reaction was honestly, "what the hell was that, where am I, yes that was tobacco, and god I think I like this." The more I listened, the more I fell in love with the album. Their ethereal sound mixed in with primal vocals, really was a fresh and welcomed surprise. I think their debut album really holds true to the definition of feral.

Second to the Last Frontier was self-released back in 2007 and was my favorite album of the year without question. The album saw a proper release in 08 after the band signed to Sarathan Records. Hopefully this will give the Seattle five the exposure they surely deserve.

If you are blessed to live on the West coast, do yourself a favor and go see these guys. I am told they put on an amazing live performance. If you are unfortunately westwardly challenged, like me, pick yourself up a copy of Second to the Last Frontier. Think of it as an early birthday present because you know your ears deserve it.

The best cd of the year by far. Feral Children waist no time and pull out all the stops for your listening pleasure. DO NOT let this CD pass you by. It will change how you listen to music and will corrupt your mind and soul... and make you want to live out in the woods barefoot and pregnant with a little baby joseph stalin. I wish I was as detailed as the reviewer before me, but she said it all, so I will just add...
Second to the Last Frontier YOU MUST BUY THIS CD NOW. thank you.

This album makes me feel as though I'm slowly loosing my mind and entering into a realm of awesome. It's one of the most creative and stand out records of 2008, I believe. With so many indie bands making music that doesn't necessarily sound the same, but pretty damn similar, it's nice to finally hear something that a lot of thought and experimentation was put into. These guys have been compared to Animal Collective and Modest Mouse, and while there are slight similarities, I think they've definitely developed their own sound. Mixing harmonized shouts and chants with dirty bass chords, droney sometimes psych-ish guitar riffs, psycho organ, tribal sounding drums and some light synth. One of my favorite parts of the album are the moments where their vocals sound like there are voices in your head. On paper it sounds like a bunch of pointless noise, but the Seattle band executes it very well. So well that those voices will be stuck in your head for quite some time. Another plus is that each song is interesting enough to make the entire album worth listening to. If it doesn't stick with you at first, definitely give it some more spins. And look forward to more music from them!

I moved to Seattle this summer and was fortunate enough to be introduced to the music of local Seattle band Feral Children. When someone told me they were a "local favorite," I honestly did not expect much. Local favorites are rarely destined to ever grow out of their regional fanbase; they're the bands that are good enough to be openers and are fun enough to headline local venues, but they're USUALLY not great enough to really impact the music world outside of their hometown.

If ever there was a local favorite destined for bigger things and widespread love, it's Feral Children. This album was shockingly good. Not just local favorite good; we're talking best of 2008 good, on repeat for the whole summer good. It's intelligent, gritty indie rock, and it's produced perfectly without filtering out the noise & raw energy that is central to Feral Children's bordering-on-experimental sound. This makes sense, as it was produced by Scott Colburn who has worked with Animal Collective and Arcade Fire (according to the release notes above). And the quality of the music is certainly worth mentioning, as well. Each song has layer upon layer of music, sound, and noise, each element working beautifully with the rest to make music that challenges yr original ideas of harmony and beauty. And I lovvvve the lead singer's voice.

You can hear influences of artists ranging from fellow Washingtonians Modest Mouse to the more experimental Yeasayer. I seriously believe that there's something for every indie rock fan here.

My track picks are Zyghost, Baby Joseph Stalin, and Saint. But there isn't a single song on this album I don't like.

YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO GET THIS ALBUM. It's an impressive debut from a band that I think will soon (if they haven't already) reach audiences far beyond the northwest. I heard somebody call them "the next Modest Mouse," but I expect even more from these guys.