Masterful New Album From Felsen.

I’ve seen Felsen a few times and I’ve always been impressed by how polished they sound while playing with such abandon. The strong arrangements performed with conviction. Felsen is an exciting show without heavy reliance on the ancillary histrionics of costuming, choreography or shredding. That’s not to say Felsen doesn’t have those arrows in their quiver -they have a clear idea about the look, and make expert use of the “iron fist-velvet glove” dynamic, punching above their weight and then backing off before someone really gets hurt. But they are all in service to the songs. Interesting songs.

Felsen’s new release, Blood Orange Moon, has been in rotation here for a few weeks. Already familiar with the material, my expectation was high to begin with, but two years in production, the band has accomplished far more than simply recording the songs. They have created a brilliant album that showcases not just the writing and performance, but considerable studio production chops.

This is a well crafted album. Blood Orange Moon is gorgeous, lush. Broad strokes from a wide palette topped with a generous dusting of aural sugar magic glistening on top. Rather than a collection of tracks, BOM feels of a piece. The sophisticated production has given the sequencing a flow hearkening back to what late night underground FM radio should sound like -if there were still such a thing. It sounds expensive -back in the day of album rock, an album like this would have cost a mountain of corporate cash and a cigarette boat full of drugs.

With the exception of occasional clever, current social references in the lyrics, this could be a great rock album from any point in the last 40 years. But I’ll stress that this is no tribute to the great rock albums of the past. This is modern, fresh, new music standing on the shoulders of great rock -not recreating it. Felsen/Blood Orange Moon is not classic rock, it’s timeless rock.