Figurines “When The Deer Wore Blue”

Wow.  “Childhood Verse” starts us off with an instrumental intro that surges with Danny Elfman-like haunted symphonic-pop grandure, takes a left turn to a simple Daniel Johnston-esque verse, then transitions back to haunting and dramatic.   Figurines makes these sharp turns feel natural and the effective is compelling.  It does exactly what a first track should do in that you can’t wait to hear what the rest of the album is like.   And When The Deer Wore Blue lives up to its great first impression.   You can hear different influences popping up throughout the record, yet the sound is still fresh, unique, and totally their own.  Figurines lead singer, Christian Hjelm, sings with a yearning and desparation that balances its fundamentally quirky by nature.  Figurines on a whole weave together some of the most refreshing arrangements indie rock has seen in a while.  In pop music, the term “classically trained” has become synonomous with singer-songwriters who can play piano pretty fast. The instincts and creativity employed in giving these songs unique and varied musical colors that swell and dip with varying feeling reflects a deeper and more sophisticated relationship to classical arranging and musicality that is often missing in most bands. Many indie-rock artists stick strictly to using the distortion-guitar color palate,  while Figurines have crackeds a new code that better utilizes the potential range of every rock instrument and how they collectively interact. Despite the myriad talents Figurines has to offer, the songs don’t hover aloofly above the listener but are rather very accessible through the various song genres they visit.

Originally published in Impose Magazine.

Tags: Figurines, Impose Magazine, When The Deer Wore Blue