Febrifuge

Given the depth of this, Dentonite Chris Day's debut release, it's tough to tell if its creator is a genius or a loon.

The near-nonsensical lyrics certainly suggest the latter: The themes (discovery, remorse, frustration) are simple enough, the general topic matter (women) is familiar too, and the inspiration of it all is remarkably standard, if the album's title is any hint.

But the poetic-to-the-point-of-confusion lyrics are hardly expected. Take, for example, this line, from the album's best cut, "Adjusting Bodies": "Spite the first but there's always a tattoo/I still want to rest my flaws by you." That's actually one of the album's more understandable quips. Others read more like graduate-level thesaurus digging.

It's in the music itself, though—all created by Day, with few exceptions—where this album becomes something of a marvel. To put it perhaps too simply, it's Beirut voiced by Morrissey, with hints of LCD Soundsystem's knack for repetition and Jeff Mangus' penchant for lo-fi sound quality and uncertain vocals.

And it all adds up to a layered release, filled with more nooks and crannies than a Thomas' English muffin. So, for now, let's throw the idea of Day being a loon out the window and hope that, as his catalog increases, it continues along this intriguing path. - Dallas Observer

Febrifuge: It's tough to figure out what to make of Febrifuge the first time you hear them. On some levels, much of what they do is similar to more widely known, popular "indie" groups that you've certainly heard before-- you know what I mean, right? The kind of pop that consists of sprawling atmospherics and sonic experiments surrounding quiet, relaxed songs steeped in traditional folk, chamber pop, blues structures and indie pop. Stylistically, much of this is nothing new. In fact, there are a lot of bands doing very similar things all over the country these days, resulting in quite an overload of this kind of ethereal, vaguely experimental folk based indie pop that seems all too easy to produce in the Myspace era. But before you go conjuring up an image of Febrifuge as a group of twenty year old twits twiddling knobs and singing their hearts out between bong rips, you might want to dig a little deeper into what the group does, because the project reaches quite a bit farther than most comparable artists, and the audible talents of its central figure make it a whole different proposition all together.

Febrifuge is the moniker of a formerly one man project lead by Denton resident Chris Day. Day handed us his debut record, A Short Instance of Separation, several months ago, and the sheer impressiveness of his songwriting and vocal talents stood out immediately amongst a pile of highly forgettable local releases. From the onset, the most distinguished element of Febrifuge's sound is Day's studied and compelling vocals, soaring with a nervous, understated yet emotive croon a la Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith, with a range nearly as impressive as the former and a quiet wistfulness similar to the latter. His lead is front and center throughout the debut, and considering that he possesses the kind of polished vocal talent that could probably make an indie/major A&R guy swoon, this was certainly a wise move.

Nearly as interesting as the vocals are the arrangements and recording, both of which were done almost entirely by Day himself, aside from some help with backing vocals and a mastering assist from Alan Douches, who has worked with Animal Collective and Olivia Tremor Control, among others. Every track on Febrifuge's debut is packed with tons of sounds-- piano, keyboard, strings, guitar, etc., but none of it ever feels like overload, and all of it is quite impressive. Some songs, such as opener "A Wounded Bird Still Dreams of Wings," soar with touches of doo-wop and ghostly atmospherics that are nearly overwhelming, while "Our Hermitage" keeps things highly minimal, with pounding, disjointed percussion and a simple chime serving as the major melodic device behind interweaving vocal harmonies that are nothing short of gorgeous.

At the end of the day, Febrifuge is reflective, emotional pop music for people who don't typically listen to anything that can be described in that way, and the care, thoughtfulness and attention to detail behind Day's wonderful debut will have many of you asking why you've never heard of this guy before. (SR) - We Shot J.R.