Fear Of Men - Trauma

‘Island’, the first single from Fear of Men’s new album ‘Fall Forever’, showed the band adapting their gloom-pop recipe and plunging it further into darkness. This change largely came through Jessica Weiss’ lyrics, which are as pummelling and affective on the album’s second preview, ‘Trauma’, a track that’s catchy and unsettling in equal measure.

Where Daniel Falvey’s guitars resembled those of Johnny Marr on debut album ‘Loom’, here they feel cold and cutting, adding bite to Weiss’ words. ‘Trauma’ feels like it has the backing of the crashing, untamed Brighton seas it was created next to, with the addition of more electronics giving the sound an all-encompassing darkness the song’s subject matter deserves and thrives on.