Friday Night Fever – TGIF!
Friday Night Fever is yet another electronic pop band that thrills audiences with high energy and stellar performances. Their release of TGIF! earlier this summer brought attention to this highly regarded unsigned band. Despite their indie status, they are well on their way to main stream success, with a sound that can rival the very top disco pop bands out there. The band consists of five members from Fort Wayne Indiana and formed through two separate entities, Saving Litchfield and Nothing Less. Their merger brought to the pop scene an electrifying and crowd pleasing band, and they have only since continued to grow as musicians. While I can hardly say that the electronic pop scene is the best place to find soulful music, save for bands like Owl City, I do often find the genre to be memorable at the very least. Friday Night Fever solidifies this notion with dance like melodies and a charming swagger that is unforgettable.
TGIF! is a five track ep that contains a single new track for their previous fans, but everything on this album is new for me. There are a couple of key elements that I think gives this band some clear advantages over others in the genre. Besides the stimulating mix of synthetic sounds and grungy instrumentals, which seem to be a staple in any electronic band, their vocals also add serious flavour to the mix. Friday Night Fever utilises a fast paced vocal style, very similar to that of Forever The Sickest Kids. Besides having a voice that seems natural to pop rock in general, the delivery gives off the kind of charm and energy you want out of a band like this. Oh She’s So Mischievous, their new single, is a great example of this. Without looking for too much out of the track, you still end up getting your worth with what’s available. I personally look for great presence, a charming sound, and to put it bluntly, entertaining music, which this song absolutely reflects. The clever timing of the electronically-produced vocal work, extravagantly orchestrated keys, and hard hitting bass are all little things that combine for an explosive sound.
Oh She’s So Mischievous is followed by Glamour Kills, which happens to be a much more intimate track. The vocals and lyrics are specifically the pieces that add to the emotional aspects of this song, but it is still a far cry from something truly meaningful. While there are definitely some heartfelt aspects to the track, and the pace is considerably slowed to meet these requirements, I still found it more of a “lovey dovey,” track than anything substantial. That said, it still excels as an exciting and catchy tune by most powerpop standards. Using a light dose of electronic funk and the light addition of backup vocals, it mimicked and even achieved in some regard the emotional touch lacking in other tracks.
Undercover Lovers is somewhat of a similar affair, but continues to rely on the heavy electronics. The intro reveals one of the catchiest and inspired melodies I’ve heard from an electropop band. The keys, guitar, bass and drums matched up very well together. The chorus is also one of the most pop-oriented, being undeniably memorable and entertaining. The final two tracks are much more of the same entertaining tracks.
Friday Night Fever is something fresh to the scene, why it has taken me so long to find the EP is a mystery. The composition of their music is always just right, despite it being very forward and heavy in sound. There is a lot to hear from these guys, and it’s never a dull moment during their tracks. While the overall sound of this EP is so devilishly electronic, they also try to incorporate the common themes of love and lust through their vocals and words. Obviously it doesn’t come off as something extremely touching, but it’s more geared towards the teenage soul, a guilty pleasure of mine. So there is a touch of emotion that elates the music, and yet at the same time it’s always amazingly entertaining.
Check out their Myspace for more info.
Friday Night Fever – Glamour Kills
Tags: EP
