First Nation

The latest band to be shown the loving support of Animal Collective and their Paw-Tracks label is this all-female trio from New York. Much like the later efforts of the Raincoats, First Nation bring together ideas of innocent pop and mystical depth into something that is both unique and challenging, without being overly intellectual or inaccessible. The band’s tendencies for sparse arrangements (mostly clean guitars, broken drum patterns and vocal harmonies) provide a loose spaciousness to their songs that allows them to drift into your subconscious and pull out different emotional reactions. Often times the band sound so loose that they might fall apart into random shambles at any moment, but it’s this naïve quality, combined with First Nation’s attention to subtlety and detail that provides this full-length debut with much of its charm. Notably, the album sounds very much like it was recorded live off the floor, which adds even more relevance to First Nation’s commendable attempts at naturalistically flowing songwriting. Fans of Deerhoof and Cat Power should also look into First Nation, as there are at times definite similarities in their strivings for intimacy and adventurousness.