Ball of Wax 35 Songs: Quichenight – “Fjord Tortoise”

Ball of Wax newcomers Quichenight describe their music as “lo-fi, high-brow, easy-listening music for nerds.” Their contribution to volume 35, “Fjord Tortoise,” is top-shelf bedroom pop that reminds me of tons of great bands – from Pavement at their most accessible to Kurt Heasley’s brilliant Lilys to lesser known artists like Pants Yell! and Sam Flax. It’s a fantastic, breezy song that wouldn’t be out of place in the gentler wing of the Burger Records empire (see Sam Flax). Is “Fjord Tortoise” a love song? Sure – amidst the pretty major chord guitar strumming and falsetto vocals stand guileless lines like “I can’t keep my eyes off of you” and “you turn me on like I’m a computer.” In the best nod to the Velvet Underground since Macaulay Culkin’s pizza-themed tribute band, Quichenight head honcho Brett Rosenberg sings “When you parallel park / I’ll be your mirror.” I hope that the folks down in Nashville appreciate what they have in Quichenight, I know we in the BoW Illuminati are happy to have them on board for volume 35.