It's quite likely you've never heard of The Forest Giants. For fans of indie influenced guitar rock that is certainly a shame. The UK media is notable for spilling ink from countless tins, in their sycophantic search for the second emergence of Coldplay; meanwhile a quiet, more credible four-some is laying claim to the mantle of next in the Jesus and Mary Chain right under their noses.
With an EP of tightly haunting tracks entitled UFO Stories lingering on the shelf from just a year ago, the Forest Giants have come forth strong in 2006 in support of what feels like a second stroke of pure rock genius, Welcome to the Mid-West. Their songs are pure fist pumping, guitar bliss, led by Tim Rippington. Listening to him drive this vehicle, he can surely be counted among the more underappreciated front men in the business. Transplant yourself back 15 years with "So You Think You're Unhappy?" and "Why Wait" or further into the annals of shoe-gazer ecstasy on "Planes Fly Overhead." There are a few anthems worthy of mention: try "Closure" on for size over your next overland drive, a song that is franticly enthusiastic without diminishing into a parody of its own energy. Over the album's 40 minutes there are very few lags, and almost nowhere will a listener feel the need to turn the other cheek to the Forest Giant's sense of nostalgia. Its engineering is peerless, nesting a patchwork of sonic treasures just beneath the surface to reward curious ears. All told, the Forest Giants are a perfect amalgamation of Jesus and Mary Chain, a la Honey's Dead, and a more contemporary collectively creative feel, like that of Belle and Sebastian.
Like on any great record, the sound of Welcome To The Mid-West just melds inexplicably into a cohesive collection of songs. They might be an obscure reach for some, but make no doubt, the Forest Giants are a great band at the top of their craft. Between this album and last year's UFO Stories there is more than enough evidence of that. |