East London trio Fair Ohs have pumped out an album in Everything Is Dancing that is epic in sound, yet narrow in scope. This is okay for the most part – they're good, fun musicians that infuse their East London slacker rock with ample lashings of African rhythms and sharp, precise guitar – but such an approach is fairly niche, and has been utilised by many bands in the past decade. And whilst their punk inflections add much-needed heft and grunt to supersede the pretentious Vampire Weekends of the genre, there isn't enough depth or variety to provide a lasting impression.
That said, there are some killer tracks on Everything Is Dancing that will most likely stand the test of time, especially when it comes to that magical season of summer. When the band explodes, like on the blissed-out rockabilly of Eden Rock and Summer Lake, Fair Ohs nail it, a heady mixture of incessant beats and rock balls. It's okay for hipsters to dance to this stuff.
Yet when they take the foot off your neck, no matter how playful their underlying aggressive approach may be, the atmosphere they've worked so hard to construct begins to dissipate like lightweight fluff. Mixing afro rhythms with Eastern influences (the title track's use of sitar-imitating sounds in particular) comes off as trying too hard to create a different sonic environment, losing any impetus they may have had.
Everything Is Dancing should not be discredited for these missteps, however. Fair Ohs aren't aiming for cerebral highs. They are an exciting, fun band. Cut the fat and the pomp, and the next album may offer a party album for the ages.
