Fridge - The Sun (My favourite Independant Album of the Year)

I would like to put a word in for Editors' “An End Has A Start”. It’s probably more consistent than 2006’s “The Backroom”, but the press coverage lets face it, has been more than ample. “The Sun” then is the first Fridge album since 2001’s touching and sublime “Happiness”. In the meantime though, Kieran Hebden, Ademn Ilhan and Sam Jeffers have been very busy indeed.

If you know and love Four Tet then you’ll be aware that Kieran is the man behind all that abstract so called “folktronica”, percussion and lovely chiming melodies. He also worked with veteran Jazz drummer Steve Reid this year, creating the jazz synth inspired “Tongues”. Ademn Alhan has released two solo albums with Domino Records and Sam Jeffers, perhaps most impressively, has managed to keep going a successful web design company and study at LSE and Harvard.

Classing themselves as “rock” on their myspace is surely simply a formality. Though a three piece band, the traditional idea of playing bass, guitar and drums as tight unit has long since been discarded by these guys. And the results are rich, interwoven but minimalist soundscapes that are deep and emotive. They can sound like anything from the arty math rock of Battles (listen to “Eyelids”), to the sound of abstract folktronica.

A fan of Four Tet, "Rounds" in particular, might have to be a teeny bit more patient with this band, but the results are worth it. As with Four Tet and earlier Fridge, the off beat percussion and xylophone are intact. There is a more instrumental feel to Fridge’s later stuff (they were formerly more electronic), and if the last album was about creating a stripped down and intimate, heartwarming sound, then this follows in the same vein - with more than a few deviations. Tracks like “Oram” are instant Folktronica wonders, but it takes a couple of spins before you start to appreciate the beauty of “Clocks” and “Insects”. “Lost Time” is an anomaly of sorts − a haunting art rock inspired gem near the end of the album. Meandering, instrumental and beautiful… and better than Battles. You should get into this band.