For those of you who enjoy your dual vocals on songs, here’s an interesting proposition for you. THE FOUNTAIN were formed in Manchester, but originate from Lebanon, Ireland and Ipswich. The Basement EP is their debut release, and this is why you should give it a go.
‘Fat Tax’ demonstrates the power of male-female aural interplay in a truly enjoyable fashion. The male vocals play straight-man to theatrical female counterpart, and it makes it all just a little bit crazy without being wilfully so. ‘1920’ is a clipped, guitar heavy indie-rock tune, raucous in a polite way.
These are all essentially pop tunes, built around simple ideas and made into something a little distorted. Lines are repeated, but they are never delivered in the same way, which will always spark an interest. The lyrics are abstract, but you kind of get the message. Or at least you can have fun interpreting them. I challenge anyone to listen to “In My Brain I Can Hide” and not walk around singing the bloody thing for five hours afterwards.
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‘Crash into the Powerlines’ is a raw indie rock-tune, complete with supercharged chorus and aggressive riffs. This is The Fountain’s paradox – they are essentially sweet, but with this slight edge that prevents them from being twee. Arguably much of the aggression stems from the bass. The drumming throughout complements the songs – perhaps the unsung hero of the EP in fact. For the work of three people, there is an awful lot going on.
Overall, it’s quirky lo-fi, artpop. It’s just not quite like anything I’ve heard elsewhere. It’s great to listen to in the summer – it’s friendly, with just the right amount of teeth. Give these songs three listens and you’ll be treating them like an old friend, albeit one that doesn’t get a round in.
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