Fehit are one of those Leeds’ bands that I’m heard of but never actually seen or heard anything by them. Clearly I’ve been missing something here.
They describe themselves as an art-rock band, this being something that I feel describes a band’s approach to music rather than a sound, I think I need to attempt to describe their sound. It is, if this song is anything to go by, dream-poppy, slightly psychedelic and at the same time insistently rhythmic, with hints of a Manchester sound in there.
What this translates to soundwise is an insistent rhythmic sound – which might be a keyboard or a guitar, I can’t tell but in a way that matters not one jot – that chimes out, fast drums, and under that a wash of dreamy sound and vocals. That insistent rhythm somehow has me in mind of those fast Joy Division songs, not in the sound but in the angularity, the franticness.
I’m going to admit that it took me more than one listen to really get it, I like to give a band a chance you understand, but gradually I found myself falling for the track. Falling for that rhythm that drives you into a frenzy of frenetic movement but at the same time the washes of dreamy sound sooth. It is a compelling mix but sounds as though it may not work but does.
Through the song the sounds come at you in waves, they build gradually, they fall, they build. The vocals melt into the music, they are words but you feel them as part of the music. And finally there is musical closure in a short but lovely burst of strange sounds.
Bless them Fehit have actually included two tracks in this single release. The B-side, if you will, is called ‘Spoiled’. This takes the insistent rhythmic sound – in this case a guitar I’m fairly sure, and slower – and that somewhat dreamy/psychedelic thing but takes it in another direction. It actually sounds quite strangely folky, but at the same time poppy.
Together, and these two tracks actually med into one if you let the stream run on, the songs make for something that is fantastic. Atmospheric, and in the case of ‘Closure’, and the same time compelling you to dance. Get on it, people.
