by Joel Parmer
There’s probably always going to be a lot of indie rock forefather worship out there. Raw-inspiring music along these lines tends to be evergreen and relatable; catchy and powerful. Since 2017, Seattle-based Fluung have made songs that draw influence from fuzzy forefront groups such as Built to Spill and Dinosaur Jr. However, the group have molded themselves into something far from stale.
After a string of two EPs and one full length, Fluung have hit their musical stride with upcoming sophomore LP The Vine. They’ve truly managed to level up with this release and especially with the lead single of the same name. It’s the same old Fluung but with a fresh coat of paint.
The sixth song on the LP, “The Vine” opens up with chimes of syncopation. The foundation of the jam is immediately all laid out as guitarist/vocalist Donald Wymer, drummer Drew Davis, and bassist Joe Holcomb sonically mesh together without wavering for a moment. The three-piece group of musicians are extremely complimentary in their playing and earnestly organic with structure.
“The Vine” is a quick three minute endeavor, as with many of the new Fluung songs, but don’t let that fool you. This is a sweet spot for Fluung and “The Vine” is packed with nuance. Holcomb’s bass lines effortlessly buzz all over the place, as the massive swings of Davis’ drumming fill the mix like a tidal wave. Wymer expertly holds down lead vocals while stacking together a collection of intelligently shreddy guitar riffs. His singing and guitar playing styles are oftentimes almost lackadaisical, yet also incredibly pushed and in control. Catchy but not cliched, the vocal performance throughout mirrors all previous Fluung songs, reminding the listener of that old adage of: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
The Vine is officially out October 14th via Setterwind Records for vinyl and Den Tapes for cassette.