Little Fuss – Hazy (2021)
Influenced by artists as diverse as Kate Bush, The Talking Heads and Billie Eilish, Little Fuss brings a refreshing new sound to the indie-pop world. After a serendipitous meeting in Spain in 2019, Olivia Martinez (vocals) and Cody Von Lehmden (bass) began piecing together their mutual love for music covered with a layer of cheap Spanish wine. Despite being formed during the pandemic, US-based duo Little Fuss have received critical acclaim from across the globe featuring in Atwood Magazine, Sinusoidal Music, Crack in the Road and Mogg Blog. We have the privilege of reviewing their debut EP Hazy.
Recorded over a three week period with Grammy Award-winning producer Carlos de la Garza, Hazy is a boundary-breaking step journey through genres. Beginning with the contemporary pop-influenced tracks ‘Watch Out’ and ‘Human of the Century’, Little Fuss represent the modern-day music scene. Yet, there are dips into the 80s synth-pop sound with the end of ‘Human of the Century’ taking me back to Depeche Mode. Moreover, the latter two tracks, ‘Hazy’ and ‘Too Close For Comfort’ adopt a more rock-influenced pop sound. I am a particular fan of the pop-punk sound in ‘Too Close For Comfort’ – a genre I have a fondness for.
Combining guitars, synths and Martinez’s rich vocals, Hazy shows sophistication and maturity that far transcends the newbie status of Little Fuss. Touching on relationships, isolation, inner turmoil and empowerment, the duo stand up as a group to be reckoned with on various levels. My favourite single, as I mentioned earlier, is ‘Too Close For Comfort’. The strong reminiscence to Paramore with Martinez almost replicating Hayley Williams’ unique vocals shows innovativeness and versatility.
With their bright eyes and enthusiastic tunes, Little Fuss can be considered the sonic representation of a new generation. Bringing a modern-day flair to old-school sound, Martinez and Von Lehmden are bound to astound listeners of all ages. I can’t wait for more from this dynamic duo.
For more from Little Fuss check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
