Karma Vice

Fern if pinned down and forced to define themselves they'd probably say they were an indie guitar band, but that tells you absolutely nothing about the delight Fern brings. It's that ol' X Factor again, bringing together the ambition of My Vitriol with the delicate touch of the Veils, wrapped up in a coating of old school anthemics, the betting is they're also set to be huge. Logo Magazine. Power trios appear to be this week's PS bag and this west London bunch of chancers complete the set. There is a welcome askew psychedila to this moody debut and Mr. Free recalls great lost '90s pretender Dr. Phibes and the House of Wax Equations, get into it. PS Channel 4 Every track here is a beautifully constructed sugar coated angst pill that forces you to hammer the repeat button on your CD player; the moment the syrupy power chords kick in you'll so want to be young again. Title and opening track I bet you never and the second song titled, err, Ooh Ooh, are strong introductions to the album and bring to mind the dynamics between sparse staccato verses and full on lush distorted choruses made famous in Britain by bands such as Manson, early Supergrass and PJ Harvey, themselves influenced by the American post rock of Sonic Youth and Pavement. Open ya mouths is a Fugazi-esq fusion of angry vocals and expressive guitar. The rest of the album follows in the same inspiring vein with Spirit being another highlight of the album with soaring vocals and laid back guitars. Fern are a band that hark back to the generation of UK indie acts once labelled the 'New Wave of New Wave' that somehow mutated into that ugly thing called Britpop. If you want to remind yourself of the days before it all went horribly wrong grab this CD! Ferdousur Glasswerk. London based power trio burning a sonic rock trail. RF Music Hall. There's no reinvention here, Fern are the real deal, a band of like minded individuals that aren't following the herd' Music & Reviews. HR Chrysalis Cabin. This London three-piece sounds like quality musicians who generate a sort of Beck-ish, Muse-ish type sound. There's a quality modern production on the first track 'Spirit' with a more bandy sound on 'I can give you more' and 'Shameless' The songs are rocking with an 'Oscar nodding his head' rating. Rhythm Magazine. For their first album proper (though still not signed to a 'proper' label) Fern provide a lush soundtrack to nights spent avoiding the sweat, sleaze and affectation of our nation's capital. Instead, they set about concocting deliciously quirky, almost soft-focus Anglican indie of the type that David Sylvian and Mansun have come up with over a cappuccino. It's considered, dark, and indefinably arty, though this is not the herky-jerky arrhythmia of either Franz Ferdinand or Liars. Rather, it's the sound of magic-dust being sprinkled on new ground. They're following in the singular footsteps of The Veils, albeit a version without the honking seal up front - all they need now is a slot on the soundtrack of the next new TV series and everyone will know who they are. Gillian Nash. (album 'Red Carpet')