Fear of Men – Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, Brighton, 15/04/14

This gig comes a few days ahead of the release of Fear of Men’s debut album Loom, and right before they head over to the US. With an exciting few months in store for the Brighton four-piece, and a hometown gig to kick it all off, this has to be an emotional evening. The band, however, don’t let on to feeling the slightest bit of emotion tonight. From their frosty stares to their dark clothes and sharp haircuts, they’ve perfected the art of appearing detached.

They open the show with the album’s opener “Alta” which sounds almost like a lullaby. The dreamy coos build beautifully into the bursts of energy of “Waterfall”, the merging of songs done so expertly it’s hard to where one finishes and another begins. Lead singer Jessica Weiss sways side to side in a trance, and with her unblinking mannequin eyes and entrancing movements, she brings to mind Ladytron’s Helen Marnie.

“Green Sea”, another song from the new album, is up next. The lyrics with their melancholic undertones are fascinating, although it proves difficult to pin them all down. The eerie line “I swear I wouldn’t go/The coastal shelf, the coastal shelf” is repeated, and on this lyric the song closes bluntly. The blunt endings recur throughout their set. It draws a sharp line under each song; waking us from the dream space their harmonies have lulled us into.

The band’s formation somewhat explains the evocative character of their arrangements. The band was born when Jessica’s short film soundtracks caught the attention of Daniel Falvey (guitar) at an exhibition of her work. The band are also influenced by the writings of Anais Nin and John Donne, as well as Freud. This interest in the arts and psychoanalysis shows through in the powerful images their songs construct. Carefree melodies carry the weight of dark lyrics, and the esoteric reverb effects bring a sense of the uncanny. Jessica’s voice often carries a strange lilt, sounding almost like Dolores O’Riodan on “Seer”. The clever balance of sharp and sweet vocals, noise and melody, and their fragmented lyrics create a welcome atmospheric sound.

The band closes their set with their heaviest song “Inside”; a wise choice that gets the audience to let loose. Even in these early stages, Fear of Men have a good sense of who they are. Bring on the album.

Setlist

Alta/Waterfall
Green Sea
Mosaic
Doldrums
Tephra
Seer
Luna
Descent
Inside

- Review by Nisha Bhakoo