Soft Power. Fazerdaze

With Soft Power Amelia Murray, as the artist behind Fazerdaze is known to friends and family, returns to WoNoBlog. After 'Morningside' (2017), the EP 'Break!' (2022) and a few singles through the years, it is time for the long awaited Soft Power.

Did I write that Fazerdaze was walking a thin line with its music, the first songs on Soft Power win me over far more easily. The name dreampop is still a good description. She sings like it is early morning, with dawn's sunshine on her face, while she's waking up ever so slowly, still following the rhythm of a very pleasant dream. A song may have a stronger sound or not, Murray is unperturbed.

The atmosphere presented is one of relaxation in the modern age. The synths and effect on the electric guitar provide that feeling of being relaxed in an electronic way. Listening more closely even makes me doubt whether there are any synths involved. Are there only guitars creating this lazy feeling, filled with atmospherics? It seems like it.

In the second song 'So Easy' a slow dance rhythm is introduced and the singing goes into modern pop territory. "Am I only dreaming" underscores the feeling I have of a warm day anywhere, when nothing needs to be done. Just enjoying myself in the sun is all that is called for. The only disturbance comes from the looped sound that becomes present more and more; and ends the song.

Single 'Bigger' fits very well with what colleague singers from New Zealand have produced in the past few years. Like Vera Ellen and Ernie Belle to name two as examples. 'Bigger' is a nice alternative/indie rock song. Amelia Murray is still half asleep, the lead guitar is not, it is softly but surely raging through most of the song. Fazerdaze is very much on top of the music here. The kind of song many fans of indie rock would like to hear.

Later on into Soft Power that thin line of mine is coming into view unfortunately. A few songs just seem to go on and on. Even after a few listening sessions I still have troubles to find anything distinctive, as the songs are one dimensional, without too much happening. The contrast with the opening songs is simply too big. That is not the case yet in the fourth song, 'Dancing Years'. There's enough happening but just doesn't appeal to me.

Electronics take on a larger role The sound becomes more modern, but is less attractive in my ears. Or it could be that the music is just not for me. 'In Blue', the fifth song, is the first in which this happens. Where 'A Thousand Years' combines 70s soul, like e.g. Minnie Riperton, with modern electronics. In the spoken word section there is, again, a link with Wet Leg.

So after a good start, I slowly lose my way on Soft Power. Some songs start with a nice guitar intro but drift away into something else, often more electronic, even towards The xx I find later on, without creating that band's inner and outer tensions.

Fazerdaze has made a distinctive turn in her career, which is her good right and I wish her all the best, but it seems like our ways are parting for now. Don't let that keep you from trying the album out anyway, especially because of the first three, perhaps for you four, songs.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Soft Power here:

https://fazerdaze.bandcamp.com/album/soft-power