Freak Owls - Taxidermy

  by Lisa Torem

published: 8 / 5 / 2010

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Review

Josh Ricchio created the ideas for 'Taxidermy' from a frenzy-filled mind, wracked with anxiety. Ricchio toured and played for 12 years with Pela, Ladycop and the Symphony Case before deciding he would nurture his creative spirit and construct a genre entitled: “catchiness incarnate.” The band which Ricchio created is called Freak Owls and it features Kolby Wade, Cody Geil and Kerry Beach. This debut CD is an amalgam of electronic programming, heavenly vocals, keen observations and erstwhile strumming. ‘Little Things’ starts off the track list with crackling guitar, minor melodies and lots of rhythm. Then, ‘Hey, Na Na Na’ enlists more ensemble efforts courtesy of Geil and Beach. “Driving around in a belly of a whale/Have a party to go to” is sung in a deliriously captivating manner as vibrant parallel melodies explode around it. It’s a song to which you can easily dance or daydream. ‘Paper Purple’ is smooth and oozes escapist amblings. “Open hearts like starry nights/Drive like sunsets over the mountains” are just two examples. ‘Seaquid’ is more transcendental. The intro moves expediently into a quasi-electronic cadence and the sensitive message looms nearby. “Don’t leave me now/I’ve got love locked away.” ‘Belles’ also carries an aura of austere vulnerability. “I can see tears of every color/Why are they always shades of grey?” is posed and finally, “What would it take to make you love me like you did before?” ‘Optimistic Automatic’ is programmed, yes, but not predictable. ‘Online (and in love)’ may say more about the casualties of cyberspace than any popular song out there. “The sign says you’re never open/It’s like you don’t exist/There’s no more secrets/There’s no more trinkets/Who in the world could this be?” The sheer vocals cascade dreamily around the melodies. ‘Can You Feel it’ (patience, officer) ends this musical love affair. “Here we come ready or not/too terrified to drive” Ricchio sings. 'Taxidermy' is a lovely collage of imagery and moments of truth. Freak Owls create a really stunning aural exploration.

Track Listing:-

1 Little Things
2 Hey, Na Na Na
3 Paper People
4 Seaquid
5 Belles
6 Optimistic Automatic
7 Online (And In Love)
8 Place To Be
9 Can You Feel It (Patience, Officer)