This one sneaked right by me. I knew I had heard something but I couldn’t quite remember what. Definitely something though so, with curiosity now fully engaged, the play button was once more pressed and rather shabby red carpet duly rolled out for The Douglas Firs’ album “Happy As A Windless Flag”.
In many ways, this album seems without direction. There is nothing as obvious as a hit single – or any kind of single for that matter – and no overall theme either (unless not having a direction was the theme) but there is still something about it that makes you wonder at what you just heard. Starting at the end with “Soporific” (and you can play this album in reverse order…) it would appear that urban soundscapes à la Housework or PNDC are the order of the day but in those bleak, abandoned buildings lives the ghost of avant-folk and Vivian Stanshall style eccentricity and this is no better illustrated than in the ordered insanity of “A Military Farewell. No matter its meandering ways, it remains a fact that you can’t be stupid or careless and make an album like this.
All in all, “Happy As A Windless Flag” is a tough one to classify. The music falls into an abyss between left of centre and way out in left field but if you are prepared to stare into that abyss then you will find not only darkness but something to prick your musical curiosity.