Pop music, by nature, might seem a difficult thing to make poignant. Brooklyn trio Fraidycat, however, does it with ease in their song, “Fortune Cookies,” the first single off their debut album, entitled Other Better Places, out May 6 on GP Stripes. A thickened mixture of trebly, palm-muted guitar and bass shoots into you and rumbles over all your muscles. The rhythm chugs, it munches along like a caterpillar plugging through a leaf that looks too big, but there it goes, and oh, is it catchy. The gargle of bass smooths you over while occasional guitar arpeggios swirl like little kickflips on a skateboard, a perfectly balanced deviation from the rhythmic center of the song. You’re in a pop track, indeed, but then you listen to the lyrics. They speak of daily routine and ennui and making an effort to live a little more on the carefree side of things, starting with something so simple as, “I need to find some other better places to get lunch.” Andy Kinsey and Charlotte Kahn’s vocal delivery is more than charming; it’s something kind of shy and personal, as though they’re singing to themselves a to-do list for a better future. We want what they want.
Fraidycat’s record release is Saturday, May 6 at Little Skips w/ Haybaby, Yucky Duster, & Thick.
