Customer Reviews

Young Fight

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With two studio albums (the self-titled debut in 2005 and "Out of the Angeles" in 2006) and a handful of brilliant EPs under their belt, Amusement Parks on Fire add another EP to their library of loud, fuzzy, spacious rock. Borrowing from those previous EPs, the band has gathered some of their most top-notch b-side tracks for this release. "Motown Ritual" was originally on the Blackout EP, and is a huge song that marches forward instantly. With the overdriven guitars at the helm that pound with a wall of sound that you think won't end, before you know it the song drops you into a drifting collective of echoes that gradually build back into the groove you were left wanting more of. "The Day It Snowed," taken from the A Star Is Born EP, is a softer side of APoF complete with acoustic guitars, a crisp xylophone-like hook, hand bells, and uplifting strings that will ultimately leave you wishing it were snowing outside. The third track from an existing non-US EP is "Alafoss Exit," from the In Flight EP. This song is just an amazing blend of deep swirls of never-ending echo effects and a crushing crescendo where the listener gets lost in not knowing where one instrument's sound ends and the next begins. It is rare to find a song that entices you so softly to start with, but then effortlessly stacks more and more on in terms of texture and melody to turn what might be a possibly daunting uphill climb into one that the listener would love to embrace.

Now on to the new songs, exclusive to the "Young Fight" EP. The original tune called "In Our Eyes" is a break from the material on the band's second release, in the sense that Out of the Angeles had primarily 5-7 minute-long songs with big builds and even bigger outros. "In Out Eyes" begins quickly and grabs the ears with a big riff right away. It seems like the chorus comes almost as quickly as the song starts, which when combined with the dense tight structure might be signaling a different approach to some already great songwriting by the band.

The song bearing the same title as the album, "Young Fight," is a very fresh-sounding Amusement Parks on Fire. The smooth and moody beginning is beautifully done, pairing the warm tones of the acoustic guitar with the catchy lead vocals. Shortly thereafter enters the easy-flowing beat, ambient keys, and passionate harmonies. The progression continues as the lyrics fade off in favor of soft chant-like background vocals and an electric guitar takes precedence over the acoustic. Then, the big breakdown hits and flows amazingly smoothly into "Alafoss Exit"'s gentle echoes. I was glad to see this smooth transition from one track to the next, because many of the original b-sides featured this, including the noise-bliss-overload track "Of the Collapsing Light" that lead into "Alafoss Exit" on the In Flight EP.

A little of the old and a little of the new. A great collection for both new fans and existing ones to enjoy. A wide sound that is made even more moving with a young energy and a knowledgeable ear for song structure, Amusement Parks on Fire have a sound that is not heard too often in today's music world, if at all. If this is the first that Americans have heard from the band, I can't think of a much better list of tunes to provide as an example of the band's sound. If you enjoy what you hear, dig around for some more from the band and get lost in all of the deep, glistening-yet-fuzzy soundscapes that the band has to offer. From the slow building epics to radio-ready catchy singles to tracks where a classically-inspired violin cuts through the air, there is something for everyone.