Asthmatic Kitty
Fol Chen is a band enshrouded in mystery and refreshingly forthcoming — all at once. The band members may be secretive about their identities but when it comes time to explain the exact intentions of their albums no level of detail is considered sacred. The New December catches up with the characters after the first chapter of this musical suite John Shade Your Fortune’s Made . At the end of Part One the heroes had thwarted the villainous John Shade — but Fol Chen has crafted the sequel on the premise that no happy ending is forever after. The New December finds those same heroes cast as bureaucrats in a dystopic not-too-far-off future.
Of course if intricate plot details aren’t of the utmost importance to you most of The New December stands up just fine as a collection of songs. The first half of the album is teeming with shifty electro-pop backed by massive beats but the sweeter second half is even more impressive. Tracks such as “C/U” and “The Holes” showcase more than just a minor understanding of R&B sensibilities and pair it with a winking playfulness. There’s a lot to like here — and plenty more layers to unfold with repeated listens.
