The Fiery Furnaces
When Blueberry Boat (2004) was released, Pitchfork described it as “a record for the overgrown part of our brain that craves engrossing complexity”. At the time, The Fiery Furnaces, consisting of Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger, were better known for their garage-blues-rock and this sophomore album was revolutionary in the indie scene. The album is a massive indie pop adventure - somewhere between a rock opera by The Who and a series of Portlandia - which soundtracks many different scenarios, as the two alternate vocals and characters. Through many prog-style sudden changes, The Fiery Furnaces incorporate furious guitar solos, quirky detuned synths, piano ballad passages, blues riffs, industrial electronic arrangements… and so much more. Blueberry Boat is an explosion of ideas practically impossible to summarise, but at Le Guess Who? the siblings will guide us through the record’s many whimsical vignettes, as they will perform tracks from their iconic album.
