Fluf Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Having dipped into the major-label life without any damage, though apparently not impressing the paymasters at MCA to follow-up Waikiki, Fluf returned to indie life without a worry and landed square on its feet with Road Rage. Miles Gillett finally bowed out of playing with the group to be replaced by Francis Winfield, who does a fine job, while Higgins keeps holding down the bass. O himself, unsurprisingly, is resolutely unchanged and has no reason to; the warm, rough, fiery singer and guitar player he always was and always will be, from the sound of it. Mark Trombino takes care of production once again, and his smart touches are everywhere -- the sudden reduction down to a fierce feedback snarl on "Not That Kind," the sudden reverb on O's voice for the start of "Wake Up," and the full-bodied, invigorating sound throughout. An easy sign as to how O adapts to modern times without changing is right up front with the great "I'm It on the Net," an at-once celebratory, ironic, and heartfelt -- and he really does pull it off! -- celebration of end-of-the-century computer chat culture. As a call to arms Hüsker Dü could be proud of if the Net had been has omnipresent in 1984, say; it's perfect, and a great way to show that Fluf are back and then some. O's straightforward yet wry around lyrics doesn't let him down any from there, with such subjects as "Leo and George" (Fender, whose guitars O loudly praises while noting "Thurston and Lee" would agree) and "Hang Out" (a celebration of O's weight without a hint of self-loathing or worry) showing he still has the touch. Add in wonderful, passionate anthems about life and its struggles -- "If I Could Feel Good" is another monster in the Dü vein -- and Fluf still rule OK. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Josh Higgins joining on bass and the great Mark Trombino handling production, Fluf made a major-label debut with reasonable style on Waikiki. "Skip Beat" kicks things off just right -- there's no evidence that would set this recording aside from the earlier ones other than maybe a touch extra clarity on O's voice. Besides that, everything is shuddering stop-start rhythm and riff chunkiness and O's own blend of lyric confrontation and confession, and from there Fluf sets out to see what else can be done. The lingering influence of Hüsker Dü can be clearly heard in such blasting yet warmly touching songs as "Pushin' Back Days," while there's even a hint of the Cure's rushed guitar pop at points, especially in "Class Action." O's singing is, as ever, that of the friendly, thoughtful guy you'd like to have as a friend, one who's been bruised more than once along the way. Higgins' bass playing doesn't immediately cause comment aside from moments here and there when the band strips things down to let the rhythm take center stage. O himself peels off some great solos along the way without grandstanding while Gillett keeps things steady and subtly creative as ever. Trombino's own excellent skills behind the boards let the band practically explode from the speakers -- not that the trio was ever particularly quiet before -- as well as slipping in more delicate moments here and there. The variety between full-on and calmer breaks on "Got Everything" and "Of the Bo" make for fine listening, while the acoustic start of "Chocolate" is a nice touch. Waikiki doesn't show the band making any grand changes, but Fluf doesn't need to -- the trio has a good sound and knows how to make it work. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Collecting the initial singles and EPs that helped establish the band's worthy reputation, Man Gravy finds the three-piece kicking up a sometimes-sludgy-but-never-dragging blast of thick, entertaining punk/pop/metal power. Those wondering why San Diego, in particular, seemed poised to become "the next Seattle" circa 1993 could do worse than give this an ear. While hardly grunge rip-offs -- a hilarious standout is the scenester put-down "Kim Thayil's Paw," with O pondering "getting a job at Guitar Center" and adding hoarse screaming over straight-outta-Soundgarden heavy-duty feedback crunch -- Fluf from the start knew how to rock without quotes. Taking the endpoint of Olivelawn as grounds for further great work, O and Donhowe continue to feed a righteous fire while Gillett adds his own brand of drum mania and skill for extra measure. O, in particular, makes a near-perfect frontman, thanks to his rough, warm, and winning voice, able to deliver drama -- check out the rampaging "Time Over," the band's debut single -- as well as thoughtful regret and smart humor. His guitar work ranges from huge, slow riffing to quick, tight work reminiscent of Bob Mould's emotional, gripping power -- opening track "Degrader" could almost be a cutoff of Zen Arcade, it's that good and anthemic all at once. A out-of-nowhere ringer that turned out to be stellar and a half was a brief cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," transforming the passionate acoustic performance of the original into a roaring, inspiring call to arms. Extra credit goes to O, the regular designer of the band's releases, for the sly humor all over the artwork, from the description of the band's sound as "f*ckophonic" to the numerous jabs at the worthlessness of overpriced CDs (and CDs in general). ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Came the time for Fluf's full-length debut, and as the earlier tracks promised, so Home Improvements delivered. Fluf didn't change anything about what they did for it -- in other words, it was loud, proud, smart, empathetic, heartwarming and fierce all at once. Kicking off with the exhilarating "Sticky Bun" and not letting up from there, O's lyric touching on a tense emotional situation between a newly married couple, Home Improvements quite simply rocks. Avoiding simply doing punk/pop by numbers or messy guitar slop for the heck of it, Fluf finds the balancing point between the two and amps everything up to 11. Gillett's drumming in particular stands out, as he slips in strange, stuttering rhythms that steer clear of straight 4/4 time where possible -- a good blend of the straight-ahead and the subtly more creative, a good metaphor for the band as a whole. Donhowe accompanies him just as creatively, sometimes a bit lost in the crunch of O's guitar work but still providing good, supple playing that never sounds like a musician being impressed with himself. Certainly the chugging rumble that kicks off "Page 3 + 1" demonstrates that the man likes to rock first and foremost. O makes for a great frontman as always, sounding like a rueful, witty voice of wisdom from just down the street instead of a superman making great pronouncements from a hilltop, whether it's about friendship or certain famous people ("Nirvana, Brass Ring"). As for his guitar playing, it's a rough diamond once again, whether being clipped and punchy or letting the feedback burst forth like a quick lava flow. Enjoyable standouts are legion -- the tightly wound virulence of "RK Wins," "The Power" and its call and response fun and jump-up beats, even a dreamy low-key mood-out entitled, but of course, "Token Instrumental." ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
