• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

May 30, 2016 Fear of Men By Austin Trunick

Fear of Men‘s 2014 debut, Loom, was an alluring blend of lo-fi dream pop, straddling an unusual space between the fuzzy, unpolished appeal of classic K Records singles and the more recent wave of ramshackle indie pop typified by bands such as The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. That first record sometimes felt a little deceptive—Jessica Weiss’ usually bleak, always compelling lyrics made the whole thing seem a lot darker and gloomier than it actually was, while the music itself kept driving forward and spinning off the occasional ball of nervous energy. Listening to it back-to-back with their sophomore full-length, it can feel like the floor goes out beneath you the moment it clicks over to Fall Forever. There’s not only a major change in tone, but a distinct drop in tempo, not unlike The Cure going from the eclectic pop mix of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and straight into the creeping grandiosity of Disintegration.

For this second endeavor, Fear of Men sought a fuller sound; indeed, Fall Forever has a lot more weight to it. The album incorporates electronic tones and synths that fill out the mix and give the album a more imposing tone that ties it all together better as a whole. The tradeoff to this, though, is that there are fewer of the standout, ear-catching tunes that littered their first LP. The stark “Ruins” is one that rises above the atmospherics, carried by minimalist, droning synths and Weiss’ stripped-back vocals. “A Memory” is another, with its Cocteau Twins-ish air and lighter tone. In the end, Fall Forever feels more like an exploratory step forward than a head-to-toe reinvention of the band; it will be even more interesting to see where they go from here. (www.fearofmen.co.uk)

Author rating: 7/10