There’s a certain charm about Big Fat Cow’s 2022 album Glutton For Punishment, the analog tape hiss that adorns each track, adding an element of dissociation from reality to the overall recording. That tape hiss is absent on the latest EP released from the Kansas City-based band, going for a cleaner sound, recording wise. As much as the lo-fi sound is fun, Big Fat Cow use a little bit more instrumentation throughout the three tracks on Behold The Soil! The tracks range from jangly and fun to complex and moody, giving listeners a taste of what’s to come on future releases. With their unique marriage of sounds, Big Fat Cow pay homage to the place they are from with their country tinged sound, while opting for a more fuzzed out, Indie Garage Rock feel to their tracks. Overall, their sound feels like a statement to the region the band represents, the Midwest, a place some deem to be traditional and ‘flyover’, yet full of creative people who make the area a brighter and more interesting place than people give it credit for. Imagine an artsy punk band playing on the side of a gravel road, and you’ll probably get a good feel for what you are about to experience with Big Fat Cow.
Not only is Behold the Soil! exciting for what the band are able to do instrumentally within the three tracks here, but the band really holds their own lyrically as well. The lyrical content on this particular EP feels like we are peaking into the author’s mind, a brain full of self-reflection about childhood, feelings of being misunderstood and isolated, and internal anxieties. Touching on these subjects makes the music feel more earnest and emotional, and makes for a very commanding listen.
The EP contains two new songs to followers of the group, but also contains a rework of a song from their previous album with the track 'Cat call!’ The difference between the two versions of the song feels like a little teaser for what is to come in the band's future. We’ve talked a little bit about the exclusion of the analog tape hiss, but the newer version on the EP feels heavier all the way around, louder vocals, more usage of crunchier electric guitars and more of a focus on shifting tones from louder to quiet moments, creating a more dynamic sound for the listener throughout
Big Fat Cow are still a relatively young band as far as releases are concerned, Behold the Soil! acts as a sample of what is to come for the new group in upcoming endevors, and shows what they can do with more resources. The direction leaves me excited for what is to come from the band, and I was already digging what they were putting out before this EP. If the EP did anything for me, it helps solidify that the band cares about showing their own style throughout their music, creating an artistic experience for the listener.
Along with the EP release, the band will be going on a short tour in support of the EP from August 22nd through September 4th. The tour will hit 13 cities across 7 states. If their releases are any clue as to what their live sound is like, this will be a show that you won’t want to miss if it’s coming to your town. Tour dates listed below:
August 22nd - Wages Brewing - West Plains MO
August 23rd - Dive Bar - Columbia MO
August 24th - Platypus - St. Louis MO
August 25th - Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis TN
August 26th - Sunstroke - Columbus MS
August 27th - The Porch at Huntington Square - Jonesboro AR
August 28th - The Cactus - Fort Smith AR
August 29th - The B-Side - Dallas TX
August 30th - Thelma's Peach - Tulsa OK
August 31st - NCOM Cyberhall - Norman OK
September 2nd - Grand Royale - Oklahoma City OK
September 3rd -Kirby's Beer Store - Wichita KS
September 4th - Replay Lounge - Lawrence KS
Listen to Patty from Behold the Soil! below:
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