The Urge To Overtake Time is Fir Cone Children's Ninth album in nine years, which by itself is an impressive achievement, but when you also add in Fir Cone Children's main man Alexander Donat's other output, both as Vlimmer and Assasun etc, as well as putting out records by Feu Follet, Social Union and others, Alexander Donat really is one of the most productive musicians of the last 10 years.
The album opens with the frantic Time Needs An Upgrade as clattering drums instill the urgency, as they are late again, they would like to be able to bend time to there will, the synths battle with guitars strafing shards of noise over us.
Snowblack is set a few days after its snowed, as that pristine white snow is now black, this has dark tones swirling like an early morning snowstorm, as you get ready to fire up the Zamboni to make life possible in the harsh conditions.
Another You is of course possible, but is it desirable, as the bass distorts your mind, you contemplate how you became who you currently are, is that all that you can be, the chugging guitars weave around the synths as the internal debate for change becomes ever more public.
Fills Up Every Inch is far more reflective like the scene shimmering up from the lake mentioned in the lyrics, as dinner is served, chosen by the kids once more, as they really rule the roost and this album, as this song gets progressively more prog like dinner has given them nightmares.
Sydney And I are trying to destroy a six pack together, in among the dense wall of synths, guitars and drums, will that six pack survive or will something odder happen instead.
The Inability To raise The Left Corner Of My Mouth is obviously a treatise against sneering at the kids, when they ask the sort of odd question you can never answer properly, the super steady beat allows you to try, yet fail at giving it the old Elvis pose as the guitars go well shoegaze.
Let's Defy Everyday Life is a mantra many of us would love to live by, this is urgent and hopeful for being able to live the life you want without worries, frantic drumming and flailing guitars lead towards the bass breakdown, as this aims for a new better every day than before, one you can get for less than 15 Euros.
Sandwich Toast, Belly Ghost is all about what happens if you eat too much white toast, the belly ghost comes to haunt your dreams with percussion like a pneumatic drill, shaking your insides like you're in your own personal blender, as you try to find the centre of it all.
It Feels Complete a downbeat sad slow song with a Muse like influence, easily the most reflective piece on the album, that could almost work as a millennial lullaby to send those pesky kids to sleep once more, so dad can return to making another Vlimmer album.
Spider School gives us lessons in how to build a web, what to do with an ensnared wasp and other completely different information to that, as the wall of synths and guitars accent this tale, as the count of the Spiders legs and bands of the web gets under way.
The digital version of the album concludes with One Hundred Years that eschews solitude in favor of squalls of synths and guitars to help the wait Alexanders children will have to the day when they are 100 years old, by which time there will be books about their dad's super productive career, as an outsider music legend, as that tiger still thrashes in the water.
Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/FirConeChildren https://blackjackilluministrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-urge-to-overtake-time
