It's swings and roundabouts with this post punk-rock
There is no way you could describe Fony as easy listening; their jarring vocals and quiet, eerie moments are post punk rock in the same sort of way that Kids Near Water are, that starts of bold and brave but flags towards the end. It's a pity, because they have plenty of potential. 'Mercy After Fiction' isn't an easy record to get into but give it a few spins and it might take up residency in your CD player.
It's striking the difference English vocals can make - and that's not the arch vocals of, say, Neil Tennant - with singer Fraser lending some sincerity and backbone to it all. First track ''Here Come the Dark Horses', sets the tone for the whole album as strong, punchy post punk-tinged rock. Fony are clearly a restless band, albeit with warmth, optimism and a great melodies.
Following the post punk trail, 'a to Breathe' sounds rather like OK Computer-era Radiohead and definitely feels more closed in and fragile but this optimism lurks in the background. Even though it's a dark and almost depressing tune, it's never without the distinctive beats and melodies that seem to characterise this band. The same could go for 'Waco', which opens with the words 'fuck off back to where you go' but the song, on the contrary, seeks to draw you in and largely succeeds. Like 'Here Come the Dark Horses', it's energetic, chaotic and what Fony do best.
Unfortunately, 'The Root' is where it all begins to go a bit wrong. It's rock, there's no denying this, and it's brazen and atmospheric for sure, but it's the sort of thing Miss Black America do better. The last two songs, 'Union Divide' and 'Your Emperor', take the Radiohead thing too far. This time, they merely come across as solid, un-exciting and nothing special.
To be fair, the second half has some good tunes. One of the eeriest but bizarre songs, 'Release', again recalls Radiohead, from the spare, barren guitars to Fraser's vocals but it works better here. It switches from soft singing to hardcore screaming at will, and sounds like the musical equivalent of a mental breakdown. It's good if something of an acquired taste. 'Feed Off Us' showed at least that Fony aren't a one-trick band, as an entirely acoustic, folky effort. With the combination of Fraser's vocals and tune, it really serves to unnerve.
'Mercy After Fiction' is definitely a British record, and it benefits from that. Whether it's strong enough to get noticed amongst all the other stuff that's out there now remains to be seen.