Fear of Men share “Island” announce new album ‘Fall Forever’

Brighton UK’s Fear of Men return on June 3rd with their second full-length album, Fall Forever, via Kanine Records. Building upon the melodicism and immediacy of their acclaimed debut album, Loom, Fall Forever takes the three-piece (comprised of Jessica Weiss, Daniel Falvey and Michael Miles) in a bold and modern direction, pushing the limits of their instruments to take on new and alien forms.

The news of Fall Forever comes accompanied by the album’s first single “Island”; both a perfect stepping stone between Loom and the beguiling new sounds explored on their upcoming album, and a perfect encapsulation of the lyrical themes Weiss navigates across the record as a whole. She describes Island, which premiered on NPR today, as “an anthem to independence.”

The band has also announced they’ll be playing at SXSW in Austin, TX as well as a one off show at Rough Trade in NY. All dates below.

Weiss went into the process of writing Fall Forever with a desire to develop her own voice, rather than hiding behind metaphors and more oblique references. The result, she says, is a “very personal and genuine record exploring where my life is at the moment,” covering a time that left her “questioning feelings of belonging and structures that commonly offer support and understanding.” A vocalist who has proved herself adept at conveying a kaleidoscope of emotions in just a few lines, Weiss juxtaposes the resultant feelings of independence and self-determination with ruminations on reliance and intimacy. Indeed, she calls Fall Forever a “love album”, but one that explores “emotional extremes of closeness and distance, love and violence.”

These contrasts are well reflected in the sonic palette of the album: cold electronics meet lush, breathing textures; frenetic post-punk drums shudder against undulating guitars that recall the fluidity of shoegaze while stripping it of that genre’s crutch of thick reverb, creating a more forceful and contemporary sound. Intent on looking forward, the band utilized modern effects pedals and technology to manipulate their traditional instruments into unique forms. Such an approach can be heard on “Until You,” where frozen guitar chords warp and twist to introduce the song before erupting into a distorted wall-of-sound chorus that hits with the punch of synthesizers but bristles with a human rawness that only guitars can bring.

Co-produced by Tom Morris and Daniel Falvey, Fall Forever sees Fear of Men twist together sounds and influences from a plethora of genres to create their own vision of a dark and modern pop record. Immerse yourself in the sonic world they’ve created on June 3rd.

TOUR DATES:
3/16 @ 12:25 PM – Spider House (SXSW ATX Pop Fest / Austin Town Hall Party)
3/16 @ 2:25 PM – Flamingo Cantina (SXSW Under The Radar Party)
3/16 @ 11:00 PM – Valhalla (SXSW Kanine Records Official Showcase)
3/18 @ 1:30 PM – Container Bar (SXSW Culture Collide Party)
3/18 @ 11:00 PM – Sidewinder (SXSW Flowerbooking Showcase)
3/19 @ TBA – Cheer Up Charlie’s (SXSW Brooklyn Vegan Party)
3/22 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade