Fl. Oz.

In the New Old Fashioned Way (Spongebath)
by Tim Den

Fl. Oz. is a rare specimen indeed. Not only are they a helluva good time, they have that special ability to transport the listener back to a certain historical era. With a quirky piano dancing in the foreground, Fl. Oz. captures the late-’20s/early-’30s transition from ragtime to jazz, but with an extra dose of rock thrown in. Pianist/vocalist Seth Timb’s comical lyrics, delivered with honey melodies and unconventional patterns, pull the listener in with an inviting disguise, then devour them in a flurry of odd punches. You can say these boys play for the masses and the composition nerds. Take a song like “Eleven : Eleven” – with its soothing verses soaked in ’30s jazz, the chorus pops in from nowhere with a Humpty-Dumpty stomp that conjures up images of clowns and fat guys. Or maybe it’s just me. Somehow, this kind of twisting’n’turning works, as it does throughout the entire album. Whether it’s the Lennon-esque “Run, Rabbit, Run,” the Gordon-era Barenaked Ladies-sounding “Ambiance,” or the holy-shit-I-can’t-stop-dancing chorus of “Have Fun,” Fl. Oz. blends their jazz/pop roots with rumpus-shaking so well that I’d be willing to sit in as their Flapper any time.
(101 North Maple St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130)