Modern Folklore “Vol. 1”
Vol. 1 is an album that really makes you look forward to a Volume 2 after listening. The world needs more honest rockers like Modern Folklore who write about the people, the life we all share. From the very first song, you absorb every sound and line Modern Folklore have to give and say, then you look forward to what comes next. That’s quite rare to how much you can come to love and feel for their music.
Vol. 1 is art in its purest, most authentic form. They write the earthy, unapologetic lyrics from the heart, based on life and inspired by life. In there, no matter the demons they fight, there’s always a speck of optimism and warmth that make you feel less alone. “This Pain is a Gift” is a meaningful track that reflects upon how the worst things happened in life could also be a gift. Setting its scene in a sultry, fantastical sonic landscape, the quarantine-inspired track tunes give us something everyone could relate to while gifting some light into the depressive reality.
“Jimmy and Donna, they lost their business like the others/ And I quit my job, yeah, it seemed like the right thing to do/ And lately alarm clocks, they sound a bit less condescending/Wish I could say the same of my interactions with you.” — it is lines like that: crude, artistic, and hard-hitting, that articulates everything you feel about life so well that makes you want to give them an applause.
“Sidewalks” tunes into the ups and downs of youth, so brutally honest about being a 20-something in the world, half a child, half an adult, making mistakes and learning from them. It’s interesting to see how the sonics and lyrics evolve across tracks. “Sidewalks” is more poetic in nature, “Silent Tongue,” intriguingly, taps into an abstract non-linear storytelling.
“Manchild” is probably the best track Modern Folore has yet to give. Sonically, “Manchild” captures a change of pace, blending the bouncy, optimistic and unapologetic attitude within the punk rock genre in fuzzy, slightly industrial atmospheric post punk surroundings. It’s expansive and cinematic and so rich in storytelling. The track has such a beautiful, epic ending that leaves all your feelings amplified, still ringing in the air.
