Chairs in the Arno: File Folder

Chairs in the Arno
File Folder
Mushpot
2007-10-09

Chairs in the Arno are like freshmen starting college: They’re naïve, they don’t quite know how to fit in, and they’re filled to the brim with good intentions. Their debut album, File Folder, is enough to tell us as much. Still, despite the awkwardness and the not-quite-developed sense of personal style, File Folder is a fun, endearing little synthpop album that’ll be good for anyone in the mood to listen to Casios and Korgs for a half an hour. There’s even a song dedicated to a Casio that happens to be the disc’s best — though the Casio in the song is actually a badass little calculator that has the answers to this week’s math test. Quirky as the words are, however, it’s the synths in this song that take center stage, climbing up into oblivion in a happy instrumental pre-chorus that’ll have you bouncing in place uncontrollable. “Size Thirty” is another cute little song about whether a guy is too skinny or not, while opener “I Never Loved You Anyways” gets the disc off to a misleading start with a breakup song that’s equal parts regretful and caustic. Though the music never approaches the inventiveness of the band’s name (the story behind which is kind of hilarious in its obviousness) it’s earnest, catchy, and fun.

RATING 6 / 10