Fear 2 Stop - Running

Hear The Track Here

Main Fear 2 Stop motormouth Billy Castillo is an excellent self-publicist and can usually be relied on to give you chapter and verse about what he and the rest of Fear 2 Stop (wife Dana and friend Raymond) are up to. He can't do that this time because Running is pretty much all Dana Castillo, with a bit of mix help from Billy. See, it's what I've always said about this band, it doesn't really matter who is at the creative wheel, two things will be immediately clear; no-one quite sounds like them and that they are (all three of them) deeply, deeply disturbed musical individuals.

Still, that's why we love 'em eh? (Ed: It is?)

I remembered reviewing a Dana-only track some while ago and I checked it out while reviewing Running. Boomerang (September 2008) was the beast and to my surprise I found it very listenable - that being a very elastic term when dealing with experimentalists like Fear 2 Stop. Although they don't seem to cleave to any particular musical rules, there is always an underlying thread tying things together and - from the sounds of it - that thread may well be coming from Dana. Oh, don't get me wrong, Running is every bit is nutty as any of their other work, and every bit as obtuse too when you are trying to get to the numb of it, yet nonetheless tends to work its peculiar spell on this reviewer.

There again, being the man with tin ears often leads to that result. Running (or Fear 2 Stop for that matter) is something best approached cautiously, unless you are a fan of the wilder fringes of analog dissonance and dischordia. Speaking personally I seem to have developed a F2S immunity over the years I have known them which does cause it's own problems. See, I've heard this band when they are good and when that happens, it is an awesome experience. Although Running has lots of life in it, in a weird look-at-me-I'm-an-alien way, it also borders on the edge of chaotic and that may well be too much for some people. Again though, another track that fans will like and I guess that is good enough right now.

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