It’s safe to say that one of the most popular genres played by local artists is good old rock ‘n’ roll, but some Colorado bands are putting a new twist to the longstanding style. Freaky North is definitely one of those bands.

Hailing from Denver, Freaky North takes elements from art rock (like Pink Floyd), psych rock, noise rock and freak folk (Sufjan Stevens), but it’s hard to pin the group into any one genre.  The band’s music is weird and funky in the best way possible, a truth that is showcased on “Spinning Around.”

“Spinning Around,” a 4-song EP, dropped on June 25 and was accompanied by a release show featuring other local acts such as Ancient Elk (unfortunately, Mile High Soundwaves wasn’t in attendance due to pesky age limits but you can read a review of the show here). The EP has a lot of talent packed into 10 minutes and promises an eccentric and exciting future for Freaky North. The cover art, like the music itself, is strangely delightful—it features hands surrounded by floating molecules, which strongly resembles art painted by surrealist Salvador Dali (like The Persistence of Memory, aka the melting clocks). The eccentric cover art shows listeners exactly what they are getting themselves into—an otherworldly experience.

“New Age” opens the EP. The song features just over four minutes of somber vocals from Kris Becker (vocals/vox) and Julia Mendiolia (vocals/moog/vox) layered over relaxed and smooth drums by Rodrigo Valdes. The lyrics tell of self-reflection. “Where are we?” sings Becker, “We are useless, we are quiet.” Fused with a deep sense of pensive and moody vibes, “New Age” starts off “Spinning Around” in a slow but steady way. The tune isn’t particularly weird or too offbeat, but it’s a good introduction before truly delving into the deep thoughtfulness of Freaky North.

“Pity in the Dirt,” the second track off the EP, is where it starts to get truly experimental. Even though it’s only a minute long, “Pity in the Dirt” packs a lot into it—there’s some nearly unrecognizable vocals that are reminiscent of mysterious chanting, a tight, staccato (short and distinct) beat and some heavy lo-fi elements (lo-fi is generally regarded as distorted or lower-quality sound recording) that build up until the song ends in an abrupt fade. It’s a strong mash-up of parts that sound like they wouldn’t go together, but Freaky North somehow turns it into a bizarrely interesting song.

The third track, bearing the EP title’s name “Spinning Around,” picks up where “Pity in the Dirt” left off, starting off with heavy lo-fi grind but soon changing into a more muted drum beat and dreamy guitar. Becker’s vocals are exquisite yet strong—there’s a wistful note to his reserved voice that nearly blends into the instruments. “Spinning Around” takes note from “Pity in the Dirt” but sounds more like the opening track—it’s less “out there” but still highly enjoyable.

“Cuando lo Verde es Blanco” (which translates from Spanish to “when green is white”) is purely devoid of vocals and is more avant-garde, but is much less harsh than “Pity in the Dirt.” A lonely horn plays mournfully in the background to what sounds like a distorted acoustic guitar and a few sweets notes plucked out. “Cuando lo Verde es Blanco” sounds like a daydream score that belongs in the soundtrack of an indie art film.

Overall, “Spinning Around” tastefully pulls off experimental rock in a way that mainstream music fans can enjoy, but avant-garde folk will love (personally, my favorite is “Pity in the Dirt”). Make sure to rally support, buy “Spinning Around” on BandCamp and cheer them on at the Underground Music Showcase starting July 22.

 

I’ll be attending this event, so keep your eyes peeled for a photo gallery and some highlights. In the meantime, click here to listen to “Spinning Around.”