Ferris & Sylvester - Otherness (Marchtop Records)
Release Date: Out Now
Ferris & Sylvester is a band. Ferris & Sylvester are a couple. Ferris & Sylvester are parents. Ferris & Sylvester rock AND roll. The new album by the duo, 'Otherness', is absolutely perfect whichever angle you look at it from but I'm a stickler for tradition so let's go through this track by track, shall we? Things get underway with the jaunty blues stomp of 'Dark Side' and immediately you're transported to a New Orleans bar with a bourbon in your hand while your foot stomps to the urgent beat. 'Imposter' clitters and clatters in to life before the organ and guitar do battle briefly only for the twin vocals of our heroes to take over and the song to unfurl in to a swirling, gnashing beast. The opening trio is completed by 'Don't Fall In Love With Me', a slow sway of a song that makes the most of the dusky, sultry vocals to create a vibe full of early morning sunlight streaming in through the window after a passionate night.
Delicate and intimate former single 'Mother,' broods with intensity making the most of that apostrophe in a folky, blues mash that puts me in mind of a Janis Joplin vs Fleetwood Mac mash up. The album is arranged in three parts and 'End Of The World' marks the end of side one with a Beatles inspired melody and a song that I would gladly pop on as the apocalypse unfolds outside my window.
Side two opens on 'Out Of It', a cinematic sounding slab of blues infused with mystery, intrigue which eventually shows it's true colours with a fuzzed up guitar melody that comes in like a rusty chainsaw. 'Rain' is split in to the intro - a raunchy but raw blues stomp urged on by handclaps - and the main song - which takes the song in a more gospel direction before swelling in to an all out live jam of a song that will leave you soaked to the skin and in a state of euphoria. The slide guitar of 'Paper Planes' is incredibly disarming but sweet all the same while 'What's It Gonna Take?' moves the vibe to a candle lit room, late at night where dark and devious things are at play.
The third and final part of this album starts with a honky-tonk piano of 'Muzzle' but don't let your guard down because this song has teeth and it is not afraid to use them as the heavier, rockier side of Ferris & Sylvester comes out to play. Another former single, 'Headache', soothes the savage beast with calming vocals and some gorgeously deft guitar playing before 'The Performer' lets the duo show off their chops with an odd-ball song that dances, jigs and flips around the party. The album (and what an album it is) closes out with 'Love Is Real', a Bond-esque song that builds slow but purposefully to a wonderful and satisfying crescendo. I don't really have anything else to say other than this album will be up there with the best of 2024 and pretty much any other year you care to mention for that matter. Outstanding stuff.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/FerrisandSylvester
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