Album Review:

Fool’s Gold
Fool’s Gold
Release Date: 25/01/2010


On paper, Fool’s Gold are a world music fan’s dream: a nine-piece ensemble from Los Angeles that plies their trade playing poppy afrobeat, sung in Hebrew. Although the mere mention of “world” in describing any contemporary band is likely to ring a big, shiny Vampire Weekend bell, a strict comparison should be avoided. Fool’s Gold are greater in number than their East Coast afropop contemporaries, and their extensive brass and percussive sections afford them a larger, richer sound. Furthermore, Fool’s Gold’s eclectic approach fails to deliver on the hype – the song quality on this first offering is as varied as their cultural backgrounds and influences.

The main problem with this LP is that it peaks almost as soon as it begins – album opener and first single ‘Surprise Hotel’ is the strongest song by a country mile. The bright twang of overlapping guitar riffs, afrobeat rhythms and dizzy saxophone solos build to a dancey carnivalesque outro that instantly raises the spirits. The majority of the remainder of the album is, however, dominated by mid-pace five-minute-plus ballads that quickly grow old. That these tracks fail is an inescapable consequence of vocalist Luke Top’s decision to sing solely in Hebrew. Whilst his chanting plays a key role in the success of the more upbeat tracks; faced with a drop in tempo and in the absence of a strong hook on tracks such as ‘Nadine’, ‘The World Is All There Is’, and ‘Momentary Shelter’, it inevitably alienates non-Hebrew-speaking listeners. Meanwhile, classically trained guitarist and co-songwriter Lewis Pescacov seems to have been given licence to solo virtually at will. This yields dividends in ‘Ha Dvash’, but even his talent as a player does not justify the boorish length and tempo of the aforementioned tracks.

There are, however, some other nuggets that can join ‘Surprise Hotel’ in the pot of genuine musical gold, namely ‘Poseidon’ and ‘Night Dancing’. They demonstrate Fool’s Gold’s ability to spice up their classic afrobeat setup with the inclusion of synthesisers, sometimes adding a darker dimension to their sound. This is most notable on ‘Night Dancing’ where the track descends into a fuzzy haze of electronic arpeggios – a far cry from the sunny guitars of ‘Surprise Hotel’.

Unfortunately, like a film that puts all the best bits in the trailer, this album fails to fulfil its promise. The band’s name, ironically, offers an apt description of this album’s failings: looks have flattered to deceive the hype-hungry music blogs that promised something truly special from this multicultural medley. This said, we should not write Fool’s Gold off – there is potential for greatness. Let’s hope their next effort is a 24 carat classic.

6/10

By Jóse Carbajo