Fyfe Dangerfield – Fly Yellow Sun : Album Reviews

Despite resembling Matthew Newton in his appearance, there isn’t much Fyfe Dangerfield has done wrong, with his debut album Fly Yellow Moon a very promising release of bright-pop mastery.
Former frontman for British act Guillemots, Fyfe Dangerfield has relinquished control from this successful band and saught out his own path. The end result is an exremely catchy selection of bright alt-country pop gems forming an early contender for album of the year.

Falling in line with the delicate sounds of Rufus Wainwright and Modest Mouse, there are also other comparisions to be drawn with alternative-country pin-up types like Jeff Tweedy, Ken Stringfellow and to a lesser, but no less important extent, Ben Kweller.
From the opening refrains of When You Walk Into The Room, Fyfe’s intentions are clear: he’s singing about happiness. The opening lines are an affirmation: you could almost consider them in part as a mission statement, for not only the rest of the record to follow, but possibly for his career. He bellows, “In this moment, no one is pulling me down into the ground.I can’t help it if I’m happy. I can’t help it if I’m happy not be sad.” Considering this, however, it is definitely the weakest track, the mis-deeds of which are made up for with the remainder of the album brimming with nutriocious pop-alternative gems.

After this bright and punchy moment of glee, those hoping for a record of Peter Gabriel inspired unconventional pop might find themselves slightly left out, as So Brand New harks back to an introspective tune detailing loneliness and in it’s beautifully simplistic form, vocally capturing the British invasion harmonies beautifully.

High On The Tide showcases Dangerfield’s unbelievable capabilities which place him well within the same category of the heavyweights mentioned above, while Barricade, almost risking a self-indulgent prelude of mystique, grows every second with promise with some delectable string arrangements laced throughout.

Bonus track Let’s Start Again is dangereously seductive, while first single She Needs Me is stunningly over-the-top, with a hint of bombastic thrown in for good measure. It stands out from the majority of the album, but serves as an indication as to how adept Dangerfield is with big arrangements when he gets it right.

There is a feeling that Dangerfield is cautiously dancing around the temptation to stuff these songs with rediculously sounding hazy bubble-gum pop organ tones in the manner of The Fiery Furnaces, yet thankfully manages to rid himself of this record killing affliction.

In all honesty, Fly Yellow Moon is a near perfect record.There are too many great lyrics drizzled over catchy-as-hell choruses for it not to be. It’s definitely more of a personal record, with the most enjoyment likely to be experienced listening to it in quiet surroundings than a crowded room. Having said that, it’s a wonderful piece of instant pop-mastery, and a definite candidate for album of the year.

Fly Yellow Moon is out 13th March on Rogue Records