Fright Years has been on my radar since the release last fall of “Stars”, the first single in the runup to Still Life, the band’s debut EP. But it wasn’t until “Do What You Wanna” above in January that I was fully sold. Still Life came out on February 28, and the five songs have been in heavy rotation since.
With Still Life, Fright Years joins the ranks of female-fronted power-pop bands that seem to dominate a certain segment of the European indie music scene (and wind up on this website). Rejecting the post-punk gloom and cynicism for something nuanced and even more optimistic, bands like Swim School and Better Joy have put out great records in this vein in the last year, and Still Life is a fitting addition.
“Stars” wasn’t only the first release from the EP, it’s the first track on it. Singer Jules Kelly’s voice has a distinctive vocal break that’s slightly reminiscent of Dolores O’Riordan. This resonates most on “Stars”, which was written as Kelly was losing her father to cancer.
So I let go, and my legs start running
To see the world in the way you could
Cause now I know that it will never be enough.
Closer “Obstacles” builds from an acoustic strum to a reverb-drenched power-pop ballad reminiscent of something from Snow Patrol, with a choral vocal backdrop. It’s the emotional climax of the record, and the cathartic and uplifting conclusion to the EP.
Still Life seems to mark a more focused direction for Kelly and bandmates Harrison MacLeod-Bonnar on guitar, Christopher Jamieson on bass, and Struan Blacklock on drums. The half-dozen singles the band released before “Stars” were softer and gentler things, with last March’s “Blue” the seeming turning point to their louder and more guitar-forward sound:
The band has been touring pretty regularly in the leadup to the EP release, and I expect they have a busy festival season ahead in 2025.
