Heartwarming grower with a definite lo fi bent
The Flaming Lips and Coldplay - that's what Four Day Hombre sound like, not Muse as if fronted by Nick Cave (like the website says). It's all about sparse rhythms and musical arrangements and only near the end does it really lift off only to coming crashing back down to melancholy reality. In that brief moment when piano, guitar and vocals come together in glorious chaos, you can hear that 'The First Word is the Hardest' has so much potential, if only they'd built on that.
According to the band, it was all based on a Neil Young soundtrack from Western 'Dead Man' which used all sorts of reverb and distortion. So from a trippy, folksy beginning via a heartwarming climax to an ending that slowly slips away in quiet despair, Four Day Hombre put plenty of ideas in but comes out a bit cobbled together. Having said that, repeated listening improves it somewhat, and it's like an old friend come to say hello after a while. Those who love the offbeat and lo fi will no doubt be partial to this.