maybe you’ve been in my position before. you’re at a gig to see a band you like, and you brought a friend. you’ve hyped this band up because, in your mind, they’re great! but as the band takes the stage, a tinge of fear starts to set in: what if this band doesn’t live up to the hype? or worse, what if they’re just not that good?
i saw The Fiction Kids play a show at NG2BC a couple of months ago. i didn’t know what to expect, but as the first notes of the band erupted out of their amplifiers, i knew that i liked them. actually, no, i loved them. The Fiction Kids’ music is like if New Order listened to Loveless a whole lot. there’s a dash of britpop, some alt-rock, and a heavy heap of shoegaze. actually, i feel like the band might hate this description, so don’t link them this post (thank you in advance). it’s not a sound that a lot of CT bands carry, but the idea is simple: strong melodies, a powerful rhythm section, and a guitar that is steeped in reverb and distortion.
anyways, i found myself bringing a friend to see the band play after hyping them up post-NG2BC. and right before they played, i wondered if perhaps i had a little too much to drink at NG2BC — maybe they’d be good, but not that good. but as the band launched into their first song, i turned around and my friend said: “yeah, they’re real fucking good.”
but now you don’t have to take my word on this! you can listen to The Fiction Kids yourself. this week they announced Souvenir, the band’s first album set for release on November 1. the lead single, “Heaven Knows” is available for you to stream right this second, so how about you go ahead and do that? check their bandcamp page and give the album a pre-order while it’s still only $1 to do so!
the song is a nice little taste of what The Fiction Kids sound like — early 90’s British alt rock / pop. but it’s only a glimpse of the band’s songbook, which can get quite a bit punchier, quite a bit heavier, and quite a bit more serene too. what i like the most about the band, based on their live shows, is how strong the rhythm section is (Alexa Ambrose on drums, J Thompson on bass) which allows Rama Kooks to go nuts on the guitar from time to time. and his tone, whether it be clean or distorted, is just pitch-perfect. the trio have great chemistry*, but again, you don’t have to take my word for it. give “Heaven Knows” a spin right now!
*this could, in part, be because the trio have played (or are playing) in Laundry Day, giving them a history that extends beyond The Fiction Kids.
