Album Review
Flaccid: All In
By Elise Olmstead
Bloomington, Illinois, progressive jam band Flaccid, released their first full length album All In on September 16, 2016, and I felt that it was fate that it fell into my hands. Their sound is what could be described as “right up my alley,” with a solid foundation of jam flavored with an alt rock flair that reminds me of the nonchalance of a band like Weezer. Flaccid often straddles the line between structured songs and improvised jams in a seamless fashion, and the lyrics serve as a window of insight into the band members’ lives, creating an intimate and interesting collection to keep you intrigued throughout the 9 track album.
The first track “Pilot” shows you what the band is made of, offering some truly tasty guitar licks and shreds that spice up the steady, rhythmic tempo. “Quite A Stupor” begins with a bang, quite literally, with a crashing of bass and drums, going into a lyric-driven jam then unraveling into improvisation at the end. “Living This Way” is the most cut and dry rock song on the album, brimming with raw angst and singing of being tired of so many things, including “living this way,” “just getting around,” and “singing this song.” The next track “In Pretend” also has a rock feel, with vocals that remind me of the eerie serenade of Billy Corrigan of Smashing Pumpkins. The song “No Dice” is my favorite on the album, the tone of the bass reminds me of my favorite The Strokes album, and the frantic repeating chorus of “I fucking killed it, I fucking killed it today,” made me get up on my feet and do the running man right there in my office.
With “Mindless Self Indulgence,” Flaccid somehow accomplishes the feat of combining jam and post-grunge, then takes it back to jam land with “Casserole,” which has lyrics that you can’t help to smile to, singing “Where are you now? I’m putting a casserole in the oven, it’s turning brown, I cannot wait to eat it with all of you.” This band isn’t all jokes, however, because they’re next track “Get In Line” is a beautiful jazzy tune where you get to hear the keys shine. There’s a great feeling of hope in the song, and the lyrics talk about facing the day and facing consequences. “I can’t believe it’s only 10 o’clock, I can’t believe I got so caught up, someday I will have to get in line, put down all the girls and all the wine… for a little while.” The album ends with “Here and There,” an up-tempo song with a rock melody, guitar solo, and full on “jam out” session to complete the sentiment of this compilation.
I love this album because it’s different from the usual instrumental jam music that we become inundated with in this scene, and Flaccid has a unique sound that is truly all their own. I suggest you check it out for yourself on bandcamp, and most important of all, “Stay Flaccid.”
Fjnd more info including media and shows on Flaccid’s website: http://www.stayflaccid.com/
