With members hailing from an assortment of other bands (
Bright Eyes,
Mayday,
Ugly Casanova, and more), it's not easy to keep track of the lineup for
Head of Femur. The same can be said about this quirky collection of tunes.
Ringodom or Proctor, its debut, jumps from idea to idea and from instrument to instrument (violin, trumpet, flute, etc). It's by no means a mess. It's well-conducted, with pieces such as "Yeoman or Tinker" featuring small indie rock orchestras when all members are put to use. Sometimes, they actually resemble
Bright Eyes ("80 Steps to Jonah," which culminates with a nice horn arrangement), while other times they tap into prog rock ("Finally I've Made It Nowhere"). On paper, the
Brian Eno classic "The True Wheel" seems out of place, but it actually fits into
Head of Femur's territory. Though it can be a lot to absorb in one sitting,
Ringodom often pushes indie rock to its limits.