Foxtail Molly - Plastic Ship

Foxtail Molly

Plastic Ship
self-released; 2014

3.1 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Foxtail Molly is a three-piece band from Whittier, CA, comprised of Anthony Montiel (guitar/vocals), Steve Gonzales (drums) and Steve Salazar (bass). The band is releasing one song at a time, which will eventually result in a full-length record called Plastic Ship. I’m not sure it’s the most effective marketing strategy but it is certainly unique. The songs sounds like a cocktail of ‘60s pop and rock. 

The songs are pleasant enough but there a number of issues that come along with the experience. There were a number of times where the band is noticeably out of time and the singer is out of key. I don’t mind these issues when they are subtle but when they are more than that it can become an issue. 

The other gripe I have with some of the songs is the quality itself. It doesn't take an engineer to realize that this was a self-recorded DIY project. I’m not going to go through the list of details but I will say that if the band hopes to get more ears on their recordings they will want to look into working with an engineer at some point. Suffice it to say the band has some tweaking to do but some of the songs are easy to enjoy nonetheless.

Their latest release “Afterlife” tips its hat to ‘60s garage rock. The song is relatively catchy and gets quickly in and out. “Up Past The Sky” sounds like a combination of ‘60s psychedelic Jimi Hendrix style and Ariel Pink while “The Yellow Line” puts an organ front and center. It was hard to understand what the singer is saying as he sometimes slurs his words together. There is a bit of The Doors influence and not just because of the organ.

Overall, I like what Foxtail Molly is doing and the style they play but the band can definitely use some refinement. Some of the playing just seems sloppy and out of the pocket. At this point they can’t compete with some of the best music available today but may be able to improve with some more practice. 

bandcamp

Tweet