Day Of The Great Leap

Fang Island’s 2007 debut album was a self-released mini-masterpiece of instrumental indie rock. “Intro” makes a strong first impression, starting with the sound of flickering campfire flames before the sonics slowly build and release a maelstrom of music so triumphantly anthemic it’s a surprise that Andrew W.K. didn’t produce it. The following “White Widow” begins with a wave of shoegaze guitars before angular, Chicago-inspired math-rock arrangements build multilayered tiers of sound. It’s within this natural and seemingly effortless meshing of musical genres and subgenres where Day of the Great Leap shines brightest. But the band also excels at keeping compositions short and epic. Fang Island’s musings are ever-changing, hook-laden bursts of energy that never surpass four and a half minutes. Even the group's longest song, “Tickle Mountain,” plays with the feral ferocity of an old-school hardcore punk tune, sounding shorter than it is.