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Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold

Label: IAMSOUND

• MySpace

Drawn together by their love-respect relationship with for music and culture, the eclectic group of musicians, Fool’s Gold burns to unleash your wild side with their self-titled provocative album. Each track challenges the listener to recognize and appreciate new rhythms, transporting them to different continents, culminating in quite an adventure. The leaders of this journey are: (now, try saying this in one breath...) drummer Garrett Ray, guitarists Jimmy Vincent and Matt Popieluch, back up vocalist and keyboardist Amir Kenan, Brad Caulkins and Mark Noseworthy playing saxophone and flute, and percussionists Orpheo McCord, Salvador Placencia, Erica Garcia, and Michael Tapper.

The colourful percussion element to the music lays the foundation of the album; introducing each track beautifully to set a distinctive and engaging tone. Not only does the band use common instruments with an individual style, but they also incorporate lesser known instruments like the delicious Bananna Bells, Djembe skinned drums, and an over-sized tambourine. In ‘Momentary Shelter,’ the exotic percussion and enchanting vocals take the listener to a serene and musically rich place of enlightenment. The cheerful guitar in 'Surprise Hotel' prominently carries the song, while the collective interaction inspires starry-sky romance with the ballad 'Ha Dvash.' The remixed ‘Poseidon: Sizzla’s Judgement Yard’ effortlessly weaves reggae-style vocals into the soloists’ ardent song.

Demanding hop-skip gyration in the gypsy punk track 'Night Dancing', this Los Angeles band frivolously skirts over genres just enough to avoid confusion and mesmerize the listener. The waltz tempo contrasted with sharp jazz saxophone makes the love song ‘Nadine’ irresistible, teasing further with the guitar solo hook. Fool's Gold are as exceptional and diverse as their backgrounds, ranging from Garcia's "pop-star" status to Placencia's artistic endeavours. The ability of the band to incorporate distinctive cultures and perspectives into a seamlessly woven tapestry give the over-eager listener the opportunity to not only enjoy the music, but also to learn from the extraordinary experience that is Fool’s Gold. - Padma Sarvepalli