The Boggs- Forts

The Boggs
Forts
(05.2007, Gigantic)
7.5/10

The Boggs have come a long long way from their debut bluegrass charmer, We Are The Boggs We Are. After releasing the virtually invisible Stitches in 2003, the band spent an additional 4 years before releasing Forts. There seems to be a definite change in direction here with The Boggs' Myspace page naming Blood On The Walls, Animal Collective and Liars as musical compatriots. Where We Are The Boggs We Are harkened O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Forts is a punk pop foray similar to the Liars' debut or the criminally overlooked Je Ne Sais Quoi. The Boggs aren't the same Boggs they aren't. On Forts, The Boggs have upped their production values approximately 1,000,000 percent. The heavy-handed album opener and title track, "Forts", is a testament to their meticulous mixing for its effective kitchen sink rumble. This is possibly the most notable change in The Boggs repertoire, window shaking rhythms. The Boggs don't just ride this gimmick, however, and reducing the punk rhythms for highlight tracks like "Little Windows," "One Year On" and "The Passage". The Boggs have retained some of the inconsistencies that plagued their debut but these are fewer and farther between. Forts is a healthy improvement and exciting new direction for a band worth keeping an eye on.

-Mr. Thistle

The Boggs - "Forts"