Fright Years - “Aftersun”
Photo by Craig R McIntosh
Fright Years from Edinburgh, UK, have just released the rousing, high-energy indie rock anthem, “Aftersun.”
Raw and urgent, “Aftersun” is a brilliant burst of kinetic energy, driven by steady, propulsive drums and a buoyant, deep bass line that creates a powerful, infectious groove. The track is dressed smartly with charmingly classic indie rock layers, reminiscent Bruce Springsteen and U2 at the height of their powers, or even later tracks, like Noel Gallagher’s “Lock All The Doors.”
These layers range from a vigorous acoustic guitar rhythm, with a rich raspy and percussive quality, to the chiming, growling motifs of the electric lead that weave in and out deliciously. Together, they conjure a sound that is expansive, cinematic, and gloriously enveloping.
Flowing through this beauty of a rocker is an outstanding vocal performance that is dripping in a sense of yearning emotion. With an intimate grandeur, and a certain folk-like charm, the impassioned delivery is comparable to Dolores O’Riordan.
Vocalist Juliette Kelly adds: “Aftersun is about the moment you decide to make a change for yourself and just go for it. It developed from a period where I felt like I was just pushing through and wasn’t really connecting with anything I was doing. Almost like the feeling of ‘sleeping at the family party’ when you were younger. You’re registering the conversation, and you want to be there, but you’re just not…well…present, and you can't snap out of it. That first verse was written over a year ago and I left it for a while. Looking back on that period, it felt a lot like the hour mark in a film where everything seems hard and complicated and messy, but it becomes the most important moment, it's the turning point. The chorus developed from that realization, that committing to do better and to try for more is often harder than actually doing it. You get better by just deciding that you will.”
Packed full of big melodies that would easily fill big stadiums, “Aftersun” is a celebratory, defiant burst of indie rock.