Physical Heaven

"Physical Heaven" is the second release from Mother/Father. A 5 song EP, recorded in the summer of 2009 in between tours and various live dates. Just like the band's previous release, their 3 song self titled debut, "Physical Heaven" showcases the darker side of 1980's Manchester, England. Yet this time Mother/Father explores the territory of synthesizers slightly more progressively-layering sounds against guitars, and wrapped in lush distortions and echos. The result, true to Mother/Father standards, is a collection of art from a band which is not afraid to take expressive liberties-and even so-blends experiments from the edges of music into a sophisticated record of sounds with just the right amount of accessibility. "Whoa, is this familiarly old or refreshingly new? Mother/Father puts an exciting original twist on a memorable genre straight out of the darker days of 1980’s Manchester, England. Citing The Chameleons (UK), Joy Division, and Wire as influences, it’s no wonder that this Nashville-based powerhouse is reminiscent of the early days of Post-Punk. Standing in a recent crowd of throwback experimental rock artists like Interpol, Editors, and Entertainment, they definitely stand out. They have all the appeal of the olden days but with a postmodern montage of newer inspirations that few artists have really established. “Physical Heaven” is this budding neophyte’s sophomore EP. Their first EP last year offered up three tracks that seemed much more fixed in the comfort of transparent guitar. All were fantastic songs that confirm abundant promise; catchy, gorgeous, and shadowy. Yet, this second effort seems more lush, echoey, and mysterious. This time lulling us with five fuller tracks, we get a further glimpse into Mother/Father’s potential. The first track is a surreal dreamscape that is as soft as a field of cotton, as glittery as a blanket of stars, and as dusky as a sun-abandoned horizon. The rest are transfixing soul-grippers with showers of ambient guitar and inescapable vocal hooks. J. Robert Farmer’s voice is so beautiful and does vocally what the instruments do so remarkably. The stand-alone track though is “Order,” the fifth and final tune. It’ll have you repeating the chorus, “Order is never found” in no time. It’s also the first video off this collection. It comes tidied up in a nice little LP-style case dressed down in minimalist fashion.