Tag Archives: Frog Eyes

FROG EYES, THE FOLDED PALM (ABSOLUTELY KOSHER) CD

The Victoria, B.C. band Frog Eyes presents listeners with a pretty heavy proposition: can you deal with lead singer Carey Mercer’s absolutely histrionic vocal style long enough to hear the music as a whole, and to grasp what he’s singing? It’s probably a tough job for the average joe, which is not to say it’s not somewhat rewarding. I’m not a huge fan of the narrative, or the meta, or even that much elliptical stuff in rock lyrics anymore. These days I think I just want simplicity. But there’s something about this record by Frog Eyes that makes me re-think my position, even though I’m not poring over the lyric sheet. Carey Mercer’s vocals make this stuff seem pretty damn urgent so maybe he’s not Iggy, but that’s all right. But like any band with their own distinct sense of style, it’s not going to be for everybody.