Friends - Manifest (2012) [FLAC]
Release Date: June 4, 2012
Duration: 61:27
Genre: Rock/Pop
Styles: Indie Rock, Alternative
Codec: FLAC
Bit Rate: ~950 Kbps
Sample Rate: 44,100 Hz
Cover: Front
01 Friend Crush
02 "Sorry"
03 Home
04 A Thing Like This
05 A Light
06 Ideas on Ghosts
07 Ruins
08 I’m His Girl
09 Proud/Ashamed
10 Stay Dreaming
11 Va Fan Gr Du
12 Mind Control
Bonus Disc:
01 Perpetual Crush
02 Feelin' Dank
03 My Boo
04 I'm His Girl (Arthur Baker Mix)
05 Friend Crush (Jake Bullit Mix)
Friends' debut album Manifest! is a loose-limbed, dancefloor-filling jam with songs that are tropically inspired, sweet-spirited, and fun. The record positions them as a Brooklyn version of the Tom Tom Club, easygoing and driven by hooky basslines. They are also influenced by slow-groove R&B, the anything-goes spirit of the B-52's, a bit of synth-y new wave, and a touch of modern Brooklyn reverb pop. Singer Samantha Urbani has a wonderfully slippery, slinky voice that slides around the melodies, crooning seductively one minute and wailing mournfully the next. She's definitely the focal point of the band, but the music is worthy of praise, too. Minimal arrangements, odd little inspired touches that pop up here and there, those killer basslines, and lots and lots of percussion help to make the songs sticky but also a little odd. Friends sprinkle their grooves with just enough weirdness to keep things interesting. The lyrics, too, are unusual and memorable, bolstered by slick rhymes and a satisfying amount of empowerment, odes to friendship and ghosts.