Fridge Magnet Fantasy – Fix Me (2020)
Fridge Magnet Fantasy cover the whole spectrum of life with their EP Fix Me. From love to people, mental health to coping with the loss of happiness and more, the band uses powerful vocals and fun lyrics to reflect on life. With funny sidenotes sprinkled through the tracks, they bring a unique honesty and sense of life to the music scene.
A multi-cultural band, Inga (vocals), Sam (guitar, piano), Niko (bass) and Franco (drums) blend their backgrounds and musicality for their revenge pop sound. While the band has had a few line-up changes over the years, their infectious sound has remained the same. As you listen to the EP, their melodies will get stuck in your brain and stick with you for long after the music has stopped.
The post-punk guitars of ‘Gloria’ open the EP in a fine fashion. There is a pulsing tone to the guitars as they get you jumping to the beats. While moving, they are not insistent giving you the chance to either really get into them or simply sway to their movement. Inga’s vocals call out over the guitars to Gloria with some seriously powerful notes. The rise and fall of her vocals have a familiar feeling to it but melodic movements bring a new life to this.
‘I Took a Shower’ has a different vibe as the bass vibrates against you and the drums bring an almost jazzy feeling. There is a smooth and lightly seductive feeling to the music before you are hit with a bouncing chorus. This chorus has a fun vibe that mixes with the lyrics which form a light interlude. The feeling of the chorus is a little at odds with the verses which are all about struggling to get through life. The interplay between the moments of the single are fun yet hard-hitting as they capture the movement of life and having to struggle through.
The gentle opening of ‘Boy’ has a very youthful feeling to it. The arrangement of the track is very different to the other tracks and almost feels like it should come out of a musical. The pattering beats merge with the staccato piano notes. Inga’s vocals bring a sense of youthful love or a crush before the melody takes a tumbling turn. At this point, her vocals start to flow more only to turn back to the pointed delivery of the start of the track. The end of the single has a hint of psychedelia in the notes which adds a little something to the music.
‘The Fat Song’ brings a wave of surf vibes in the guitar opening. The vocals bring the fun of ‘I Took a Shower’ back while hitting you with a sense of self-deprecation. There is actually a lot of heaviness in this song that you might overlook if you only get into the bouncing vibes of the melody. Through the lyrics, body image is tackled and the societal ideals for female bodies are brought into sharp focus. While there is a sense of depression over weight, the single actually has a motivating vibe to it that makes you feel that you can do anything even if you don’t fit into the image society wants.
The EP comes to a close with ‘Wake Up Lonely’ which draws you in with a lazy guitar line. The laid-back vibes of the guitar line are enhanced by the vocals that have a haziness to them. This does turn when the deep beats and thrumming bass come in while the vocals take a powerful turn. The chorus has a wonderful rock feeling from the vocals to the music and make you want to sing out loud with the band. Taking on feelings of loneliness, the track lets you know that it is fine to be on your own and you don’t need to be around people for the sake of it.
Fridge Magnet Fantasy hits you with five very different tracks as they cover the human experience in Fix Me. Throughout the EP, you are filled with motivation and a sense that you can do anything you set your mind to. The band also takes on deeper issues using fun melodies to connect with listeners in a unique way.
Find out more about Fridge Magnet Fantasy on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
