Music Review
Earplug
October 2008
Like his work with psych-tinged noiseniks Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tobacco’s solo debut evokes nostalgia for nostalgic sounds — in this case, the warm acid tones and fuzzy analog mysticism of Boards of Canada. The signifiers are there — warbly flutes, folksy backdrops, and backspun sound effects — but rather than floating a misty interpretation of an already hazy sound, Tobacco adds a muscular, evil edge. Traversing the darker corners of BOC’s druggy rural landscapes, he revs up the tempo on tracks like “Hairy Candy” and drops heavier, juiced-up beats for “Truck Sweat” and “Gross Magik.” On the more mechanical, driving “Dirt,” rapper Aesop Rock’s guttural lyrics gel nicely. If BOC are childhood bliss borne out in a country cottage, Fucked Up Friends explores the more isolated, warped headspace in the backwoods.