Loom

About

Brighton, U.K.’s Fear of Men began as so many British groups have in the past. Singer/guitarist Jessica Weiss was working on her art degree when she bumped into guitarist Daniel Falvey, and the two decided her film soundtrack music could be the basis of something new. Their first cassettes and 7” singles were compiled as <i>Early Fragments</i>, leaving the slate clean when starting work on their first album, <i>Loom</i>. However, the band chose to rerecord “Green Sea,” which lets fans hear the differences a new studio, a higher budget, and experience can bring. The rough enthusiasm is smoothed over, but the shoegaze elements are put to better use. A similar experience opens the album, as “Alta” starts as a low-key but pretty poem set to a few minimal chords before “Waterfall” breaks into full stereo color as one of the album’s best pop songs. “Descent” is another. Vocals start on impact and continue while a second set of vocals create a seductive weave. The six-minute “Inside” starts as a simple guitar-led indie-pop tune before the vocal colors and dynamics take over.

via Apple Music