They are not from Wisconsin, but the indie rock band What Made Milwaukee Famous (the name references a country song which references the slogan of a beer bran—yeah they’re that awesome) has been a highlight of the Austin scene for the past decade, impressing crowds with their hodgepodge style of indie/folk/pop music and opening for the likes of Snow Patrol and The Arcade Fire. This week sees the release of their third full-length album, You Can’t Fall Off the Floor, a compilation of experimental folk-rock that’s frequently fun and festive while thematically fastened with a sense of more sorrowful hardships and disillusions.
A pervasive seriousness tethers us to “Silence is the Loudest Answer,” as intimate, hoarse vocals croak out a series of rhetorical questions and promise to “never leave you alone.” When a stentorian drum begins to pound away, initiating a percussive march that swells with passion, the music transcends to something direful, yearning, and beautiful. Likewise, “Rosewood” commences as a pensive lullaby that expands into an adventurous travail, while “Grand Entrance, Awkward Exit” sounds piano chords, pedal steel, and explosive cinematic moments but seeks shelter in softer vocal segments. However, the album hits up a light side too. There’s the riotous folk-rock and catchy hooks of “Gone and Done It Now,” the apologetic country of “Sorry,” or the jazzy and festive rabble of “Down.” It is hard to pick a standout among these tracks, as each song contributes its own creative style and flare, showing off the band’s talent for multi-faceted sounds.
Darker suspicions are present in “Swift Justice for Christmas,” a cynical punk-rock evaluation of certain modern societal values, as well as “Just Run,” a grim track that works up subdued fears with its distorted guitars and eerie textures. The closing song, “Leftovers” speaks to loneliness and need with its unhurried pace, forlorn guitars and heartland folk. But it’s hard to feel sad after listening to this album—the music is of the variety that’s just too cool.
