encore introducing ~ track of the week ~ 'wake and bake' ~ fleece

Name: Fleece
Genre: Alt-Psychedelia 
For Fans Of: Pixies, The War On Drugs, Yuck
Location: Montreal
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Some guys form a band in Montreal and release an Ep. Nobody really cares. Those same dudes make a homemade video eating rice cakes and showing just how easy it is to write an Alt-J song. The video goes viral ~ the band gets noticed, and then 'Wake and Bake', their latest single, gets re-recorded and an album follows. Everybody cares.

As band history's go, the story of 'Fleece' is a lot more Scott Pilgrim, than Oasis ~ but that doesn't mean they haven't had to work for their new found success, nor that they're anywhere near where they want to be yet. 'Wake and Bake' is the trippy first release from an album sticking out beautifully in a world where nothing seems original anymore. Hazy, lackadaisical and dripping in nonchalance, 'Wake and Bake'  sounds like that song your older, much cooler cousin Kenny used to play at his house parties back in 1994. It's got that great dynamic of sounding new and exciting, but weirdly nostalgic. There's even room for a gloriously messy breakdown, with time signatures temporarily forgotten and some sort of jazz-inspired bass line dancing through the cracks. 

All things considered, this is as strong a debut as Fleece could have hoped for. It could be for them what 'Get Away' was for Yuck ~ an indie-rock crossover into the mainstream. Their debut album, 'Scavenger' is great too ~ even if it requires a little patience. That said, even those that don't 'get' Fleece, will probably want to be them, and that is a truly great sign indeed.

'Wake and Bake' is a pretty high bar for Fleece to vault over for their next release, but why not aim high?

Taylor Johnson