Folkfaces
‘Fat Ol’ Rat’
Self-released
Somewhere along the Erie Canal, a bit west of here, there
lives a quartet of musical ruffians who call themselves Folkfaces.
Comprised of guitar, saxophone, washboard, upright bass, and other stringed
things, this Buffalo band of eight years has mastered old-time jazz with a
progressive twist, and has a reputation of unapologetically turning tradition
on its head. Folkfaces’ new album, “Fat Ol’ Rat” is a turbulent 15-track rollick, full of wit and
charm, equal parts polished and wild, with an undeniably high caliber of
musicianship that has grown this band to what it is today.
The album plays out a bit like a summer night at the Grange,
or whatever would be the modern-day equivalent to a place where people go to
dance the jitterbug. Imagine cafรฉ lights that are strung from the ceiling and
the only piece of furniture in the room is a table,
carrying a bowl of mystery elixir. Under a makeshift stage light, an acoustic
guitar revs up in a fury of syncopated scratches, as a washboard that sounds
like tap dancing do-si-dos with the string bass. A
saxophone lets out an exuberant howl between dulcet vocal phrases that pour out like warm gravel. Layers upon harmonious layers
weave effortlessly through each song and don’t stop until the album winds to an
end.
“Fat Ol’ Rat” is Folkfaces’ longest work to date, and is a fun ride from
start to finish. Throughout the album, dust flies and settles in a congruent
motion with the ebb and flow, joining jittery dance tunes with downtempo
waltzes. With or without its references to “The Mighty Genesee’ and ‘Rochester
Rag,’ this album is a local gem, a soundtrack for kicking the dust up.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2019.
