Chicken Feed – Out Of My Boxes

• 25th Aug 2009

From album opener “We’re in Fashion”, it’s apparent that Chicken Feed aren’t the most commercial of projects. It’s stark, ambient electronica coupled with angry indie shout-singing (courtesy of Jack Underwood, of fellow arty types Le Tetsuo), it’s distinctive and intriguing, and more of the same follows. Pigeonholers might be a little confounded by CF’s myspace, which boldly brands it’s genre “electronica/shoegaze/folk”, or “music for tractor drivers”. It’s a good thing, though, that for all his willful eccentricity, Chicken Feed sounds a producer par excellance, concocting interesting beats all album long on numbers that range from the stripped-down aggro of the opener, to the lush, wonderfully pretentious Shoegaze of “Napier”, and plenty in between. Acoustic guitars are employed throughout and contrast well with the electronic element – see “Duck Egg Diner” for a prime example.

Hazel Mills’ stellar vocal turn on “Lights Out” renders the track one of the more memorable moments, but it’s really not about the odd anthemic tune, this is an album that needs to be heard as a singular work to get the full effect.

Chicken Feed sounds like a man on top of his creative game from the variety of sounds on offer in Out of my Boxes, some tracks are spare, atmospheric, others warm and luscious, but what’s really testament to the quality of the music is that the tracks without vocals are often as interesting as those with, and there’s seldom a boring moment.