A new band is born every 2.8 seconds in New York City. Many of them have the same parents, so they end up sounding similar and get lost in the noise. The only way to stand out is to be a little different, and The Fluids excel at avoiding traditional rock values. There’s something unnervingly intense about their music that makes it impossible to stop listening.
The band came to my attention about a month ago when I heard their first single, “Creatures.” I wasn’t really sure what to make of it, just that I wanted to hear it again. Michael O’Donnell’s strange delivery, equal parts Bowie and Lou Reed-speak/singing with animated passion, feels a bit bizarre at first but fits the music really well.
The Talking Heads influence is pretty heavy on that track, but The Fluids spill all over the musical map throughout the record. One thing that stands out is the quality and quantity of guitar work by Cooper Formant. In a time when guitar solos are frowned upon by mainstream bands, The Fluids push the instrument way out front and let it be the focal point of many songs on the record.
The third member of the band, Nick de Molina plays an intricate part in melding genres together. His keys bring out the early 80’s new wave sound that pairs with some of the heavier rock and punk vibes given off by O’Donnell and Formant. It’s an interesting blend, and the thing that makes The Fluids stand out in a landscape populated by bands that are too cool to try something different.
Their newest single, “Sign N’ Drive,” just came out with a couple weeks until the album is released on October 27th.
No Kidding! just might be the very “abstract masterpiece” they mention in the five-minute fuzzy freakout “New Land Sale.”