Weekly Release Spotlight: Tobacco
Posted on 9/28/2008
Tobacco
Fucked Up Friends
[anticon.]
There's more to life than the tangible, the opaque, and the literal. Musical progenitors of this notion, whether it be the acidic fuzz of Suicide or the cerebral buzz of Tortoise, never really garnered the same kind of hype as any given guitars/drums/vocals-clear-and-on-top indie act, but at least they expanded minds and boundaries. One of the more recent supporters of the hazy cause have been analog enthusiasts Black Moth Super Rainbow, who recently exploded due to their worldwide tour with abstract-turned-concrete behemoths The Flaming Lips. One-fifth of that enigmatic outfit is named Tobacco and of course prog-hop label anticon. could get behind his blissed out synths and beats.
The very title of Fucked Up Friends, his solo debut, says a lot about the contorted sound that comes from within its bright pink plastic case, which exudes a sweet and sticky mixture of confusion and warmth. With very little lyrical exploration from Tobacco himself (and when there is any, it's delightfully muddled and devilishly screwed up beyond recognition), one can look only at what has been unfairly dubbed as the neo-psychedelic melodies (it's more kaleidoscope than puffy smoke) that warp around through airy keys and quiet but confident percussion. The pleasant familiarity of these colorful tones sit on your shoulders like an old friend, but the sinister grins of the broken and antiquated lo-fi production remind you of the time that childhood chum moved cross country without saying goodbye.
The standout everyone will be clamoring over (and most deservedly so) will definitely be the Aesop Rock collaboration "Dirt," which appropriately combines a deteriorating version of the dystopian rapper's eloquent voice with Tobacco's swirly affected ramblings underneath. The purist instrumentals (most notably, "Berries That Burn" and "Backwoods Altar") also capably storm through myriad swaths of spacey timbres and bubble impatiently for the listener's attention. The Tobacco croon is also undeniably infectious in "Pink God," where we are reminded of the mission at hand: just because it's indiscernible or lethargically wacky does not mean the possibility for lifelong friendship is not there.
Stream: Tobacco - Truck Sweat
Written by Chris Polley, Radio K volunteer and host of Now Like Photographs.