Fences
Fences' Ultimate Puke EP doesn't quite deliver what its title implies—to me it implies crusty, 45-second basement-punk songs about spanging and drunken fisticuffs. In fact, this collection of sparse, melancholy folk songs is pretty much the antithesis of the assumptions I had when the EP landed on my desk several months ago. Frontman Chris Mansfield sings about his troubles with the weary resignation of someone who's been kicked around by life and doesn't expect the situation to change anytime soon. But unlike the work of other songwriters whose songs are so saturated with pathos that they're difficult to listen to unless your psyche's in a similar state, Mansfield's pretty folk melodies command such attention that at first you might miss the brutal statements that pepper the album—statements like "I never felt love" and "I didn't always feel like shit." Fences' presence at SXSW this year is strictly unofficial, but since Mansfield's currently in Victoria, recording with Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara, don't be surprised if next spring finds the band on a newfound record label, playing an official showcase with a whole new lease on life.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
lots and lots of change.
some very good, some scary, haunted band.
stay with me everyone.
big news/changes soon.
-chris
stay with me everyone.
big news/changes soon.
-chris
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
2009 IS OUR YEAR AND
Maybe we wont need food stamps.
only tramp stamps. cause...
matt works at a tattoo place and
dolphin bong back shit is all so free.
anyways, keep listening, were playing to hundreds now
instead of 40.
but i still love 40.
by that i mean, women the age of 40.
wah wah.
only tramp stamps. cause...
matt works at a tattoo place and
dolphin bong back shit is all so free.
anyways, keep listening, were playing to hundreds now
instead of 40.
but i still love 40.
by that i mean, women the age of 40.
wah wah.
REVIEWS2.KINDA POSTED ROUGHLY...SORZ.
Fences
Ultimate Puke (Expanding Brooklyn)
3 stars
Chris Mansfield, the songwriter behind Fences, is comfortable with his battle scars. As laid out on his debut EP, all emotional baggage is game for the troubled, tattooed Seattleite who, on the lead-off track, “The Knees,” sings, in his slightly quavering baritone, “These bruises are my friends.” Instrumentally, the misleadingly titled Ultimate Puke is an understated affair, with Mansfield’s minimalist acoustic guitar lines and brushed drums backing his crooned journal entries. The songs themselves are on the short side, about two minutes each, fading in and out as if they were only passing thoughts, which provides an album filled with emotional brutality something of a light touch. On the softly galloping ballad of dispute, “My Girl the Horse,” Mansfield sings “Neither one of us will make it down this hill alive” so matter of factly, it’s easy to miss. Such understated damage, though, is a little taxing, loading the listener with emotion without allowing a catharsis. Where Mansfield is his best is on the few tracks where the music works with the words, as on “Same Tattoos,” where the introduction of the drum, mid-song, calls attention to Mansfield’s line: “It’s not like you were really gone gone gone gone, but you were and I never felt love.” In those moments, when Mansfield drops the thin veil and truly lets his listener feel his pain, his true talent shines. MARK BAUMGARTEN
Standout Tracks: “Boys Around Here,” “Same Tattoos”
AVERSION MAGAZINE
Fences' Chris Mansfield is a tough-looking guy. Or so the story says. Maybe the band should have included a picture of him doing something totally bad-assed, like putting Mike Ness in a headlock, cleaving cinder blocks using only his bare hands or eating a salad made entirely out of horseradish and habanero peppers, because Fences is really, really hoping the tough-guy/soft music thing makes The Ultimate Puke work.
Even if it came with videos of Mansfield single-handedly disrupting the plans of terrorists and criminals in a high-rise, an airport and in a cat-and-mouse game over the phone, The Ultimate Puke EP wouldn't work as well as Fences would hope, for two reasons. Firstly, the quiet side of a punk angle's been driven into the ground. Secondly, Fences just aren't more than mildly interesting or good at what they do.
The home-recorded collection of acoustic pop tracks is stuck in the rut of unplugged singer/songwriters who desperately want to avoid any connection to folk music (which, to be fair, is a pretty tough feat Mansfield pulls off). Its pop charms are stretched too thinly and we're led to gape at Mansfield's capacity for emotion.
Most of The Ultimate Puke is stuck navigating the same avenues that early Bright Eyes did. Mansfield's voice is often shockingly similar to that of Conor Oberst, and his treatment of his songs only underscores that. "The Same Tattoos" could be a Bright Eyes cast off, while "Boys Around Here" dabbles with ghosts of country western, but without enough conviction to make it work. "Your Bones" and "Song Joseph" come off better, with Fences using more than minimal production, though we're still left to rely upon the depth of Mansfields' soul which, presumably, he lays bare on this EP, to really appreciate this.
It's a little too late -- like a dozen years -- for anyone to be blown away by the weight of anyone's feelings, no matter how tough-guy or pantywaist they are.
- Matt Schild
QRO MAGAZINE
Chris Mansfield bears his soul from the get-go on his debut as Fences, The Ultimate Puke EP. Put out there because, “I figured I might as well name this group of songs I’d been writing and have something to do with myself”, Mansfield brings about some touching alt-folk. While not revelatory, there’s certainly a good deal to build on with the (admittedly badly-titled) Ultimate Puke EP.
Fences begin with the high and pretty alt-folk of “My Girl The Horse”, which sets the stage well for what is to come. Mansfield than channels is inner Bright Eyes (QRO album review) with “The Same Tattoos”, but it’s the stuff you like about Conor Oberst, with Fences’ single-worthy acoustic folk-pop not over-done in the feelings department. There are other tracks where Mansfield gets perhaps a bit too emotional, and a little thin, such as the penultimate “The Knees”, while the soft “Fires” is a touch too soft, and the soft-but-grand “Sang Joseph” never quite explodes like it should. But he also varies it up, including two very different renditions of “Your Bones”: a close-up, lo-fi bedroom recording in the middle, and a slightly disco-trance backbeat/background version to the end the EP.
However, The Ultimate Puke EP is maybe at its best when Mansfield plays things a bit wrier on “Boys Around Here”. The low-key number has an interesting attitude and a more of a hook, something Fences will hopefully expand into in the future. But as it is, they’ve got the planks to go higher.
PUNKNEWS.ORG
When I first ran across Fences, I was totally thrown by the fact three heavily tattooed guys were making this music -- it's stereotypical, yes, but it happens. And, truthfully, it adds to the mystique of the band. Fences debut, The Ultimate Puke EP, conjures up memories of acoustic/folk past: Elliott Smith; Mike Kinsella / Owen; David Bazan. But the Seattle (by way of Boston) trio adds their own flair. On songs like "My Girl the Horse" and "Boys Around Here," the common 'verse/chorus/verse' formula has been thrown away, heeding to a quasi-Mark Kozelek-ish drone of a constant riff with only subtle changes in vocal melodies or auxiliary percussion. Hushed vocals and careful strumming make for a very slow build of almost every song on this EP, and it works. The Ultimate Puke EP could easily be the sleeper hit of the year, if it's accepted. I see Fences as more of a bands' band, opposed to anything the random girl next to you in lecture would be listening to. But in the same breath, I could easily see some of these songs on movie soundtracks or in the background of a few television shows. But if I had my way, I'd just like to hear them play "The Same Tattoos" in my basement while everyone sang along.
the stranger
Hey Marseilles, Fences, Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden
(Tractor) Local singer-songwriter outfit Fences write stripped down, compelling songs about ordinary subjects—girls, estranged fathers, relationships. So what? Boys in America sit down with an acoustic guitar and sing about those very subjects every 2.7 minutes. But there's something that makes Fences' efforts sound more genuine than most. Singer Chris Mansfield's lyrics are delivered with a gentle guitar and coy mumble, forcing you to really listen to hear the stories he tells. It's almost like he's ashamed, like he's playing this song because he has to and he's not quite comfortable about it yet himself, but the only other option is death or insanity. MEGAN SELING
prefixmag
A former jazz student, Chris Mansfield abandoned his upright bass in Boston for an acoustic guitar and the indie scene in Seattle. His self-released debut EP, a home-recorded labor of love, is sparse, scattered with small moments of softly brushed drums and simple key melodies. Mansfield’s hushed, quiet vocals call to mind the reflective tones of fellow Northwest singer-songwriter Joshua Morrison
Performing since 2007, Mansfield has become highly visible on the local Seattle scene, but he continues to adjust his playing style and vocal delivery. The unhurried version of “The Same Tattoos” during his live set on KEXP is perhaps a better copy of the same up-tempo song on the EP. As he continues to play more shows and prepares for a tour in 2009, perhaps Fences’ eventual LP will find Mansfield rehearsed and ready for the spotlight he is undoubtedly headed for.
-gwendolyn elliott
- January 5, 2009
AVERSION MAGAZINE
Fences' Chris Mansfield is a tough-looking guy. Or so the story says. Maybe the band should have included a picture of him doing something totally bad-assed, like putting Mike Ness in a headlock, cleaving cinder blocks using only his bare hands or eating a salad made entirely out of horseradish and habanero peppers, because Fences is really, really hoping the tough-guy/soft music thing makes The Ultimate Puke work.
Even if it came with videos of Mansfield single-handedly disrupting the plans of terrorists and criminals in a high-rise, an airport and in a cat-and-mouse game over the phone, The Ultimate Puke EP wouldn't work as well as Fences would hope, for two reasons. Firstly, the quiet side of a punk angle's been driven into the ground. Secondly, Fences just aren't more than mildly interesting or good at what they do.
The home-recorded collection of acoustic pop tracks is stuck in the rut of unplugged singer/songwriters who desperately want to avoid any connection to folk music (which, to be fair, is a pretty tough feat Mansfield pulls off). Its pop charms are stretched too thinly and we're led to gape at Mansfield's capacity for emotion.
Most of The Ultimate Puke is stuck navigating the same avenues that early Bright Eyes did. Mansfield's voice is often shockingly similar to that of Conor Oberst, and his treatment of his songs only underscores that. "The Same Tattoos" could be a Bright Eyes cast off, while "Boys Around Here" dabbles with ghosts of country western, but without enough conviction to make it work. "Your Bones" and "Song Joseph" come off better, with Fences using more than minimal production, though we're still left to rely upon the depth of Mansfields' soul which, presumably, he lays bare on this EP, to really appreciate this.
It's a little too late -- like a dozen years -- for anyone to be blown away by the weight of anyone's feelings, no matter how tough-guy or pantywaist they are.
- Matt Schild
QRO MAGAZINE
Chris Mansfield bears his soul from the get-go on his debut as Fences, The Ultimate Puke EP. Put out there because, “I figured I might as well name this group of songs I’d been writing and have something to do with myself”, Mansfield brings about some touching alt-folk. While not revelatory, there’s certainly a good deal to build on with the (admittedly badly-titled) Ultimate Puke EP.
Fences begin with the high and pretty alt-folk of “My Girl The Horse”, which sets the stage well for what is to come. Mansfield than channels is inner Bright Eyes (QRO album review) with “The Same Tattoos”, but it’s the stuff you like about Conor Oberst, with Fences’ single-worthy acoustic folk-pop not over-done in the feelings department. There are other tracks where Mansfield gets perhaps a bit too emotional, and a little thin, such as the penultimate “The Knees”, while the soft “Fires” is a touch too soft, and the soft-but-grand “Sang Joseph” never quite explodes like it should. But he also varies it up, including two very different renditions of “Your Bones”: a close-up, lo-fi bedroom recording in the middle, and a slightly disco-trance backbeat/background version to the end the EP.
However, The Ultimate Puke EP is maybe at its best when Mansfield plays things a bit wrier on “Boys Around Here”. The low-key number has an interesting attitude and a more of a hook, something Fences will hopefully expand into in the future. But as it is, they’ve got the planks to go higher.
PUNKNEWS.ORG
When I first ran across Fences, I was totally thrown by the fact three heavily tattooed guys were making this music -- it's stereotypical, yes, but it happens. And, truthfully, it adds to the mystique of the band. Fences debut, The Ultimate Puke EP, conjures up memories of acoustic/folk past: Elliott Smith; Mike Kinsella / Owen; David Bazan. But the Seattle (by way of Boston) trio adds their own flair. On songs like "My Girl the Horse" and "Boys Around Here," the common 'verse/chorus/verse' formula has been thrown away, heeding to a quasi-Mark Kozelek-ish drone of a constant riff with only subtle changes in vocal melodies or auxiliary percussion. Hushed vocals and careful strumming make for a very slow build of almost every song on this EP, and it works. The Ultimate Puke EP could easily be the sleeper hit of the year, if it's accepted. I see Fences as more of a bands' band, opposed to anything the random girl next to you in lecture would be listening to. But in the same breath, I could easily see some of these songs on movie soundtracks or in the background of a few television shows. But if I had my way, I'd just like to hear them play "The Same Tattoos" in my basement while everyone sang along.
the stranger
Hey Marseilles, Fences, Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden
(Tractor) Local singer-songwriter outfit Fences write stripped down, compelling songs about ordinary subjects—girls, estranged fathers, relationships. So what? Boys in America sit down with an acoustic guitar and sing about those very subjects every 2.7 minutes. But there's something that makes Fences' efforts sound more genuine than most. Singer Chris Mansfield's lyrics are delivered with a gentle guitar and coy mumble, forcing you to really listen to hear the stories he tells. It's almost like he's ashamed, like he's playing this song because he has to and he's not quite comfortable about it yet himself, but the only other option is death or insanity. MEGAN SELING
prefixmag
A former jazz student, Chris Mansfield abandoned his upright bass in Boston for an acoustic guitar and the indie scene in Seattle. His self-released debut EP, a home-recorded labor of love, is sparse, scattered with small moments of softly brushed drums and simple key melodies. Mansfield’s hushed, quiet vocals call to mind the reflective tones of fellow Northwest singer-songwriter Joshua Morrison
Performing since 2007, Mansfield has become highly visible on the local Seattle scene, but he continues to adjust his playing style and vocal delivery. The unhurried version of “The Same Tattoos” during his live set on KEXP is perhaps a better copy of the same up-tempo song on the EP. As he continues to play more shows and prepares for a tour in 2009, perhaps Fences’ eventual LP will find Mansfield rehearsed and ready for the spotlight he is undoubtedly headed for.
-gwendolyn elliott
- January 5, 2009
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