The Fades – Lost My Job/Time Is Right (2022)
For approximately two decades, UK-based group The Fades have been entertaining masses with their loud, hard-hitting and engaging melodies; not to mention their reputation for raucous live shows. Combining the talents of brothers Dave (vocals and guitar) and James Lightfoot (bass), Jonny Barnard (guitar) and Alastair Thorpe (drums), The Fades break boundaries with a genre-defying sound. Touring the UK, Ireland, Italy and the USA (New York to be exact), the lads are building a cult-like following across the globe. Come with us as we dip into their critically acclaimed discography and review ‘Lost My Job/Time Is Right’.
Following their single ‘People In General’, The Fades adopt a punk rock meets post-punk meets grunge in their latest double-A single ‘Lost My Job/Time Is Right’. Opening with ‘Lost My Job’, The Fades set a foundation for powerful, bold and brash melodies. Abrupt with distorted guitars and pounding drums, the lads immediately tip you into a kaleidoscopic whirlpool of sound. Oddly enough, while there is a frantic “jumping about and screaming” touch to the single, a sense of flow can be detected in the underlying thread of the track. What I mean is that the distortion is elegantly arranged allowing screeching guitar riffs to carefully guide the listener across a pounding melody.
As with ‘Lost My Job’, The Fades present a heart-pumping sense of chaos in ‘Time Is Right’. A divergence is seen in that ‘Time Is Right’ incorporates garage-rock sentiments into their typical punk style. Moreover, this single has a strong instrumental feel with the only lyrics being a constant “oh” atop the impressive guitar and drums. In ‘Lost My Job’, screeching guitar riffs crescendo into catchy choruses; however, ‘Time Is Right’ focuses primarily on the guitar as it carries you through another sonic whirlpool.
Touching on social issues, The Fades adopt conceptual themes that speak to people on a personal level. ‘Lost My Job’ explores the frustration and fear of unemployment during a cost-of-living crisis. ‘Time Is Right’, on the other hand, is a singalong chant to drive away the distressing feelings and blurt out all the bad. In true The Fades style, the new material is organised chaos wrapped up in multi-coloured madness. It’s awesome!
For more from The Fades check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
