Fischer's Flicker: Fornever And Never

Here is another band that was previously unbeknownst to me. The band is Fischer's Flicker led by main man Scott Fischer who contributes lead vocals and keyboards. Besides writing all the songs he also produced the album and helped out the engineering along with Turon Yon. The rest of the band include Tim Kubiak (guitars), Andy Sviatko (guitars), Turan Yon (bass, backing vocals), Tim Gavin (drums, backing vocals) and Patrick Gunderson (backing vocals, percussion).

This is the band's second album and if I had to give it a label, smartly executed pop/rock music with the occasional foray into proggy territory might be as good a tag as any. What really stands out from the initial listen are the outstanding melodies. Every song has an unmistakable earworm, even when the band stretches things out beyond the constriction of traditional pop music. I hear influences by XTC, The Beatles, Elvis Costello, The Band and even Billy Joel. The first track "Black Mariah" has a strong beat and a catchy piano melody. A bit of a Beatle's flair here and really quite a charming little tune. Fischer's vocals are excellent, almost pleading at times when he sings "I just want a love that cares". "Dead to Me" recalls '50s rock and roll with a doo-wop feel. The fuzzy lead guitar breaks are incredibly catchy. A curious choice is the Alice Cooper classic "Halo of Flies" and it has turned into one of my favourites. I really dig the galloping riffs, powerful drums and the textural organ layer. The punky pop of "Emoticons" is another catchy number as is the fun "Mrs. Rogers" where Middle Eastern rhythms and various tempo changes give this one a progressive feel. The most 'progressive' song is the ten plus minute "Fornever" starting with a melodic piano intro before a funky groove ensues. The music veers through syncopated beats and excellent guitar work recalling early Steel Dan. The acoustic "This Little Heart Of Mine" ends the album on a gentler note with perhaps a slight nod to The Band.

Fornever And Never is more challenging than your standard pop fare and loaded with great melodies, strong vocals and smart arrangements. These guys deserve a larger audience and could be on the radio if given half the chance. Easily recommended for fans of melodic pop and rock music.

Track Listing:
1. Black Mariah
2. Dead to Me
3. Halo of Flies
4. Emoticons
5. Mrs. Rogers
6. Dancin' Girl
7. Fornever
8. This Little Heart of Mine

Added: December 5th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1413
Language: english

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