The noise pop duo known as Fuck Buttons have released their second full length Tarot Sport, which hit the shelves a little over a week ago. The follow up to Street Horrrsing has gotten a considerable amount of attention from music journalists and the blogosphere for being one of the better records of this year. So what exactly did Fuck Buttons do on their second release? Power and Hung have cut back a bit on their noisy barrages and screaming backdrops and exchanged them for some pulsating beats and some heavy techno inspired melodies.
For the most part, however, a lot of elements that made Street Horrrsing enjoyable exist on Tarot Sport. Street Horrrsing was vast as well as deep, and the textures and depth that governed the record are still very much apparent especially on tracks such as “Surf Solar” and “Flight of the Feathered Serpent.” Fuck Buttons definitely introduces a new level of danceability on Tarot, however it hardly seems to compromise the variety of sound. They still have a knack for getting you hooked on their poppy nuance, while maintaining a level of obscurity. That being said, Tarot is a much easier listen, and I think that has a lot to do with the evolution of their songwriting. There seems to be more thought and purpose in Tarot Sport, despite its lack of noise experimentation. A lot of their melodies are less saturated and more precise while certain rhythmic progressions remind me a lot of some of the songs off of Tortoise’s latest release Beacons of Ancestorship. Maybe these dudes are just growing up. Regardless their growth is certainly worth listening to.
Tarot Sport is available on ATP Recordings. Also for all you Bostonians, check out their upcoming show on November 25th at Great Scott in Allston!
For fans of: Kevin Shields, Holy Fuck, Black Dice, Growing
MP3 :::
Fuck Buttons – Flight of the Feathered Serpent
Fuck Buttons – The Lisbon Maru
