Fever Moon – Keepers Park (2022)
There have been some seemingly unexpected relocations by artists, and the reasons for that can vary. It could be an inspiration, a chance for better exposure, or they simply like that ‘new’ place. In fact, very often, it is any or all of these reasons. This is exactly the road Jay Holmes took some time in the late 2000s when he gathered a core band of Nick Bello and Darryl Baker (bass and drums, respectively) and began creating something special. What started out as a gathering of like-minded musicians to record demos led to a move to Tokyo, Japan, and ultimately Fever Moon.
The goal for Fever Moon was to record two albums to be released in 2022 and to gather steam as a band as they began showing off their chops at various live music venues in Tokyo. Well, the results are starting to show, and the first of the two planned albums is making its way to our ears – Keepers Park. It seems that the choice of relocating to Tokyo worked wonders for Holmes and his Fever Moon.
As with any new band, the first thing you are on the lookout for is its influences. For Fever Moon, the initial reaction might be the well-developed sound of the mid-to-late 90s independent sounds found on American college radio. The college radio sound of the 90s can be particularly heard with the sound of latter-day The Replacements, Husker Du and prime Afghan Whigs – a combination of striking melodies with added harmonies in combination with some strong guitar sounds and uptempo rhythms. This seems to be exactly where Fever Moon picked their musical cues.
Of course, which is particularly the case with the first two bands mentioned, that sound has its roots in the decade that preceded it when punk delved deeper into melody and combined it with the sound of bands like Echo & The Bunny Men and The Cure. For their part, Fever Moon took all that and added the further melody element The Afghan Whigs brought to grunge and took it all some 25 years on into these “modern” times. Frankly, it all not only works but sounds as fresh as it did at its prime on songs like ‘Rose’, ‘Giving Up The Beast’ and elsewhere on this album, even when they slow it down a bit like on ‘Corpus Chris’.
Take for example ‘Rose’, the song Fever Moon picked as their initial single from the album. It comes at us with real rock energy. However, there’s also an understated smoothness to it that makes for some really elegant vocals and guitar playing – especially in terms of how they balance out each other during different parts throughout this song! You can feel all these emotions coming through clearly, thanks not only to what you hear but also because distorted guitars provide the boozy backdrop with almost ballad-like vocalising alongside pounding drums before finally coming into full force, making sure we’re fully engaged from start until finish without ever being bored or overwhelmed.
Hopefully, Keepers Park will raise their presence so that it can take its sound further on around the world. Maybe they will bring on a 90s revival along.
For more from Fever Park check out their Bandcamp.
