Listen to samples of The Fiery Furnaces’ I’m Going Away on imeem.
Easy, breezy and surprisingly coheezy
The Fiery Furnaces’ seventh LP marks a curious stylistic adjustment: The band’s proggy dynamism is now set in the style of ’70s sitcom themes. I’m Going Away forms a hodgepodge narrative about escape using blues-rock throwbacks (“Charmaine Champagne”), dreamy piano ballads (“Ray Bouvier”) and an unmistakable homage to Clapton’s psychedelia (“Staring at the Steeple”). These pop predilections yield heretofore unseen unity, making their blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em tempo alterations and off-kilter interludes downright jarring. But there’s more here than just a kitschy concept—I’m Going Away is another absorbing mile on the Furnaces’ flight from indie-rock convention.