Folian - Blue Mirror

Angry Metal Guy 50

It’s that time of year in Seattle when the rain is a comforting constant. It streams down in varying degrees of intensity, from barely-there mist to hefty droplets the size of large coins. As I was reading through Folian‘s promo materials, I had a hunch the one-man band’s debut full-length Blue Mirror would be the perfect warm, dense, and fuzzy accompaniment to the drab winter weather. Folian‘s first-ever release, the EP Ache Pillars, was unleashed to the world earlier this year in March. Ache Pillars allowed Folian to test the waters and gain footing in an age repeatedly scarred by information overload. Given my newfound fondness for Ache Pillars, I was keen on hearing a more established and adventurous version of the Portland, Oregon based musician’s work.

Folian is the project of musician David Fylstra, originally from the Pocono Mountains in Northeast Pennsylvania. Before starting Folian in 2017, David released music under the name Wasting Seasons and has contributed to a long list of other heavy and experimental acts including Ramprasad, Flood Peak, and KVØID. Employing a mixture of guitars, vocals, synths, and field recordings, David has leveraged experiences from his wide array of collaborations and projects to meld elements of drone, shoegaze, metal, pop, and experimental noise together to create a sound which will likely appeal to both those who hang around these parts and those who read that one hipster music blog. On Blue Mirror, Folian draws upon personal experience to ambitiously explore multifaceted concepts including the duality of being and the struggle for balance and clarity during an emotional struggle.

Blue Mirror by Folian

Blue Mirror starts off with a track titled “This is the Place,” which very nearly caused me to expect a cover of the similarly titled track by new wave band Talking Heads. “This is the Place”‘s layers of amorphous guitar combined with what sounds like a reverse tape effect gently set the record in motion. This unassuming track is mayhap my favorite minute of the album. The murky and fuzzy noise track “Away” and twangy slathered-in-surf-reverb track “Further-Give,” which is vaguely reminiscent of Brian Eno‘s “Deep Blue Day,” serve as brief interludes for longer more structured tracks including the meditative “Go Alone,” doomy “Erasure” and Slowdive and Spiritualized influenced “Unwanted.” I appreciate the continuity between EP Ache Pillars and Folian‘s first full-length album. The final track on Ache Pillars, “Where All This Dust Comes From” feeds directly into “Go Alone” with the same plodding and mesmerizing looped guitar riff. A bit of nostalgia never hurts.

One thing I struggled with while listening to this album was processing the mixed signals from the heaviness of the lyrical content and the apathetic vocals. I understand that this style of vocal is typical of bands embracing a shoegaze sound, but I couldn’t help but wish for something a little more expressive sounding to match the lyrical content’s heavyweight. In addition to the lack of passion I felt coming from the vocals, I was hoping for a fresher, more original take on the shoegaze and noise metal combination. I am a big fan of Folian‘s use of field recordings (especially the soothing winds at the end of “I Am You”), and I wish he had highlighted his field recording layering skills more.

Just as my apartment window serves as a barrier between the Seattle rain streaming down in thin rivulets and me, Blue Mirror similarly acts as a consoling and fuzzy barricade from the dreary weather for 42 minutes. The murky deep blue tones on the album art are aesthetically pleasing to my eyes, and the dense and muddied layers of guitar soothe my mind and warm my soul. I certainly enjoyed listening to Blue Mirror, but I was ultimately hoping for something full of a little more substance — something with more electronic layers and field recordings and a little less meandering. With such a strong first EP, I am mildly disappointed with Folian‘s first full length. I guess that’s a downside to revealing your best material first.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Anima Recordings
Websites: folian.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/folianpdx
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2020

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