The Felice Brothers
Celebration, Florida
New York, NY
“Catskill commodity”
The Felice Brothers have found a way to think outside of the folk music box, and their new album Celebration, Florida is yet another solidifying example of the outcome. This heady, spastic and completely imaginative album was recorded in the rawest of raw atmospheres: the gymnasium and theater of Beacon, New York’s old high school. The spirit of the album is electrifying – quite literally, some songs sound like they were muffled, dipped and drenched, and forcibly stuck into an electrical socket. The result? An intense, groovy and frenzied experience. “Fire At The Pageant” kicks off the record with dramatized piano, rumbling drums and child-like background chants.
Celebration, Florida is a storyline of strung together situations – each instrument is its own character, creating its own story and contributing to the bigger picture. “Container Ship” brings listeners back down to Earth, only to catapult them back into a zesty, poppy jazz-funk tale of a questionable situation in (a) “Honda Civic.” “Ponzi” was the most publicized single on the album pre-release, and it lives up to the hype – surprising 808s, slick lyrics and a stern sense of camaraderie between band members. “Back In the Dancehalls” provides a beautiful hybrid between Catskill violins and electric, static beats. Ian Felice’s winding voice puts an edge on an already explosive number. It’s clear that The Felice Brothers want the listener to be as much a part of their story as they are.
With this new album under their belt and dozens of tour stops lined up, the brothers and friends can sweep the nation and beg listeners to ask the ultimate question: what can’t these guys do? (Fat Possum Records)