Album Review: Too Old To Die Young by Tall Firs

On Too Old to Die Young, Tall Firs move away from the underground electric folk of their self-titled debut and toward experimental rock, trading trippy introspection for a more fleshed-out, structured sound that still has an organic warmth in its intricate guitars and artfully shambling drums. By sharpening their focus and turning up the volume, Tall Firs also strengthen the similarities between their sound and Sonic Youth -- "So Messed Up" and "Hippies" recall the avant-jam band epics that Thurston Moore has been perfecting since "The Diamond Sea," and Too Old to Die Young's overall vibe recalls the laid-back friendliness of Moore's Trees Outside the Academy. However, this is also some of Tall Firs' most wide-ranging work: "Good Intentions" dives into textural rock with searing guitars, "Warriors" builds from a whispery start to a noise maelstrom, and "Lookout" has a stillness that recalls Tall Firs despite its charging dynamics.

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