Finally, Floating Action debuted new tunes at The Mothlight Friday.
Not that fans had waited long for something fresh. If you’ve followed the movements of Black Mountain’s Seth Kauffman since Floating Action’s last proper album, 2012’s righteously-good Fake Blood, you know he’s been swamped, spoiling listeners with his production aesthetic on record after record, touring with multiple acts and cutting a new album of his own. It would take too long to go through the names of the artists Kauffman was embedded with in 2013—suffice to say he’s pretty much a rock star.
So it was no surprise The Mothlight sold out for Friday’s show, which began with 1950s-and-60s Congolese rhumba supplied by Coconut Cake. The local eight-piece, led by Nocturnals bassist Michael Libramento, churned out percussion-heavy rhythms complete with woodwinds, maraca shakes, cowbells and slicing guitar. Several Floating Action members sat in on the set, before launching into an epic 32-song, double-set of their own, which spanned the entirety of Kauffman’s catalogue.
The new stuff came five songs in. songs with names like “Earth Shackles,” “Unrevenged” and “No Surprise” (apologies to any Floating Action members reading this, I couldn’t resist and snagged a setlist after the show), were bass-heavy and percussive. They were also outstanding. By my count, somewhere close to 10 new songs were performed for the first time. The tracks will be included on Kauffman’s forthcoming album, Body Questions, which is set for an April release.
Along with the new record, 2014 looks like it will keep being huge for Floating Action. Earlier this month, Kauffman revealed the band had “just singed to a bangin’ new record label” (without mentioning the label’s name). In the same post, he acknowledged his work on the recording of a new, Dan Auerbach-produced Ray LaMontange album.
Kauffman is beyond gifted, and he consistently keeps on giving. We’re lucky to have him close. See Floating Action any chance you get—and buy that record come April.
James Harrison recently returned to Asheville after working as a government reporter for Nooga.com, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Follow him on Twitter at@jharrisonAVL.