Biography Of Ferns is a Seattle-based band who formed in the late ’90s, but they obviously want to be a British post-punk from the late ’70s. One listen to Pastel Gothic and you’ll be sure to pick up hints of Public Image Ltd., Wire, Joy Division and most obviously Gang of Four. That’s cool, those are good bands to use as a starting point (God only knows more bands should), but there’s a difference between “being influenced by” and “trying to sound exactly the same as,” and Biography of Ferns far too often fall into the latter category. It’s not that they’re bad; there are a quite a few good tracks here. The first half of the album is especially strong; “Join the Barber,” “The Charmer” and “Accidental Town” all deftly combine the dance-friendly vibe of Gang of Four with the general insanity of more experimental acts from the time like Public Image Ltd. But Pastel Gothic is one top-heavy record, and the steam runs out quickly. By the time things wrap up with “Ring of Oaks” and “First Kiss” the catchy melodies are long gone and all that’s left is a boring excursion into post-punk masturbatory shoegazing. And someone needs to slap the hell out of their lead singer until he dumps the ridiculous fake British accent. On a completely unrelated note, these guys should tour with Unicycle Loves You. Not because they sound anything alike, but because they’re both two of the stupidest band names you’re likely to hear. (Tellous 2007)
