#1 - Ryan & Steve

Sunburned Hand of the Man

Fire Escape

2007

Sunburned Hand of the Man are a Massachusetts collective of revolving musicians who've been releasing a plethora of music since their 1994 inception. As their frontman, John Moloney has shaped Sunburned's sound by working almost entirely via free improvisation, working with psychdelia, noise, free-folk and shambled-jazz. They have some unbelievably great and transcendent recordings ("Headdress", "Jaybird" & "The Pegadrift" immediately come to mind) but they've also put out their share of throwaway CD-r schlock. It simply comes with the territory when a band attempts to perpetually progress publicly by releasing the entirety of their musical output. The group hit their popularity peak in 2003 when covered by Wire magazine dubbing them one of the leaders of the so-called "New Weird America".

So what makes this record especially unbelievable was the inclusion of Kieran Hebden (of Four Tet & Fridge fame) as producer and facilitator of musical ideas. Working with Hebden, Moloney and Sunburned were able to hone and control the experimentation, first and foremost by shortening the compositions when they began to drag and extending the jams when the grooves aligned. Beyond just compositional aid, Hebden was also there to expand the sonic palette of Sunburned beyond trippy and fuzzed-out acoustics and into the otherworldly noises from Hebden's live electronics. His inclusion certainly adds to the eclecticism of "Fire Escape".

"Fire Escape" is a free and loose record with an unapologetic freedom and fervor for new sound. The second track here, "Nice Butterfly Mask" rides along its quick groove of bass and drum as horns blare atop and guitar rumbles up from beneath. After a one-minute atonal electronic-noise bridge, the song returns into a noisy and fiery free-folk version of something off of the Stooges "Fun House". The next song, "What Color Is the Sky in the World You Live In?" is a soft, delicate and traditionally beautiful song of piano balladry, swarms of flutes, toy woodwinds and bells. Overall the songs here bounce and play relentless, rarely resting and forever innovating. It's an album that simply has no time for stagnation. Impossible to define and undeniably fresh, "Fire Escape" is an unparalleled creative success and one of the best records of the naughts. -S.R.

I only need one word to describe this album… badass! As soon as the second track, “Nice Butterfly Mask” begins, you’ll feel like you’re starring in the best gangster flick you’ve ever seen. And that mood just continues all the way to the record’s finish. This band does not care about consistent length for its songs – they range anywhere from 45 seconds to 15 minutes – but they do know how to make kick-ass music that’s unlike anything you’ve probably heard before! - Phil