by Leilani PolkMusic scene vets and former players in ’90s-era outfit The Boats, bassist Todd McBride and guitarist George Eckerle, formed Fowler’s Bluff with keysman Mike Todd and drummer Chad Marin a few years back, and the experimental/alt rock quartet finally compiled enough original material to release a six-track eponymous debut this summer.
The six-track release deftly balances melody and dissonance. Lead vocals switch between McBride and Todd — from beseeching full-bodied calls to tender higher-toned croons to unruly falsetto-reaching wails that soar, mosey or creep over finely arranged jazz-informed instrumentals. Among the highlights: the riff-righteous hard rock thrust of “Wom3n,” which segues into the insistent off-kilter intensity of “Monte Carlo,” the tempo slowed to a moody crawl that roils and seethes to the song’s end. The most compelling and exquisite cut on Fowler’s Bluff, however, is also its most subdued —“Swell,” its billowing washes of synth sonics adorned with strains of melodica and slide guitar. (4.5 out of 5 Stars)
Details: Fowler’s Bluff with Mountain Holler, Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg, free admission.