Hull indie outfit ‘Fever’ has released their debut EP ‘Why Can’t You Hear Me?’, an infectious and compelling collection of songs that grabs your attention from the first minute and doesn’t let go.Fever: Why Can’t You Hear Me? — Retro Synths and Infectious Songwriting
Five years after the release of their debut single, ‘Jungle Man’, the five-piece outlet has had to wait their time in getting a collection to summarise their talent out into the open. If it wasn’t clear from the irresistible melody of the chorus of ‘Jungle Man’, Fever quite clearly have a knack for writing mega choruses. After support slots from the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and The Lathums, the band have finally released their debut EP ‘Why Can’t You Hear Me?’, showing a band that has gone from strength to strength in recent single releases, possessing a maturity in songwriting way beyond their younger years.
The title track and opener may sound more brooding than the pop-bangers we’ve grown to expect from Fever; its driving rhythm cuts through the verse in growing anticipation for a massive chorus. “I’m screaming out loud/Your silence is the most deafening sound” exclaims Harrod in the climax, surrounded by blaring power chords and thrashed drums. It’s an excellent opener and one that continuously gets better on multiple listens.
What threatens to set Fever apart from their contemporaries are their clear influences. From Blossoms to Fleetwood Mac, the Hull-based band have an infectious amount of swagger in their playing, with their rich 80s synth chords flourishing on tracks such as ‘A Place You Call Home’. The track has an excellent hook thanks to frontman James Harrod’s fantastic vocals and an electrifying guitar solo to finish things off. The final product is a band that sounds as though they are decades into their discography rather than one that doesn’t even have a debut album out yet.
‘Long Ago’ has a strong argument for being the strongest of the bunch, possessing Fever’s signature sound; its driving bass contrasting heavenly with its dreamy synth chords, meanwhile closer ‘Complete Journey’ has luscious guitar leads with ample chorus effects for good measure and a welcomed emotional weight to it. “If I were to die, would anyone know?” sings Harrod as the verses build to his falsetto, before delivering a chorus with all the payoff you’d expect to hear from the band.
It’s too often beginner indie bands don’t have the ability to generate larger-than-life choruses in their songs. That talent isn’t something you can teach, but rather something that comes naturally. When you have it, you have it. Fever just happen to have it in abundance.
Words by Niall McGreevy