We Need Heroes; Build Them

There’s a hell of a lot you can voice about Flobots, which is incredible because they already say so much, and they've only had one major commercial album release (until now). To me, and undoubtedly many others, Flobots’ “Fight With Tools” is about coming together for change, voicing that things are not the ideal, looking hard and realistically at race and capitalistic no-nos. Their sound is kind of a hodgepodge: they emphasize wonderful violin solos and highlight sparse brass and their harmonies have the real-world texture of a clubhouse of people, not boy-band conventions. There is a theme, a message to their efforts, sure, but there are still some fun, non sequitur tracks (“The Rhythm Method,” “Combat”) to break the tension. They’re entertainers slash community advocators. Take a listen:

“Fight With Tools”



“Never Had It”



“Handlebars” (According to the band, it’s about the power of decisions--you can do great good or evil depending on where you hone your efforts.)



“Rise”



Just for reassurance, it isn't mandatory for you to embrace their worldview or their political ideals--I know I sure don’t to a T (very anti-Bush and -globalization). You don’t have to agree with every couplet or little history lesson. But I think there’s something to be impressed by here. That a quasi-rap/hip-hop album makes you open up the Dictionary to find out what the world the intricate metaphor you just heard means is a rarity in any musical genre these days. I think it’s something to admire that they've had 5 number one chart toppers but their rap harks back to the first rappers, the fountainheads, the ones who used it as an outlet for social change and sung expos’es about class issues with present-tense violence. They are not perpetuators of materialism or dropping their name every other verse or writing a success autobiography, electronically warping the same vapid, repititous lyrics. They acknowledge that being impartial or stagnant is not an option in America anymore. It’s a welcome, gritty, heartfelt album.

Most reviews and forum posts seem to say--and I’d agree with them--that their second dip is more hopeful. If the first disc can be interpreted as a “distant early warning,” this one is the coin’s nicer side—still scuffed with chips and gum but there’s a shine there, dull though it remains. I like it on-par with “Tools.” (CLICK RIGHT HERE to safely listen to “Survivor Story," their second major release out now, on LaLa. Actually, just buy them both--they're less than $12 bucks each most places.)

Jonny 5, Brer Rabbit, and the rest of the group may not convince you to join a rally or jump up and volunteer or join Big Brothers, Big Sisters...but they’ll make you feel like you should, and not through guilt. They’re not renegades or extremists—they’re iconoclasts with a lot of talent and energy. These guys are important; they speak for themselves about all of us.

--The Last Moslow

Posted in: Fight With Tools,Flobots,Hiphop,Rap,Survival Story