FICTION
'THE BIG OTHER' (Moshi Moshi)
March 4
6/10
Words: David Beech
Three years after their initial 7” 'Curiosity', London 5-piece Fiction release their first full length album, ‘The Big Other#, a record which capitalises on current 80s resurgence and fuses it with the traditional jangle of indie-pop into an amalgamation of sugar and sunshine.
Opener 'Parting Gesture' sounds somewhat like We Are Augustines. Delicate, breathy vocals add a layer of texture to a track which, brought on by a chorus of 'ooh's', soars to heights rarely matched in the tracks that follow. Songs such as 'See Me Walk' and 'Vertigo In Bed' forgo the sunshine in favour of a darker, 80s feel which, vocally, is not dissimilar to Tears For Fears. However, these tracks are what let the album down, leaving it feeling somewhat flat at times.
The problem with ‘The Big Other’, is it lacks the childish playfulness exhibited on earlier 7” such as 'Parakeets' and the aforementioned 'Curiosity', both of which bring to mind Misty's Big Adventure minus the flamboyancy. 'Big Things' is a track, which, fortunately keeps some of the bands earlier folly alive and is vaguely reminiscent of Vampire Weekend thanks to a sweet and Summery synth track that defies you not to nod your head and is another highlight of an album that rarely does much to stand out.
Coming full circle, 'The Big Other' finishes on another high in the form of 'The Apple' which thankfully isn't as permeated by the 1980s as other tracks on the album. It's understated and minimal and a result the track shimmers with fantastic vocal harmonising and a Pixies-esque ending.
Unfortunately for the band ‘The Big Other’ is an album they appear to have taken too seriously. Whether that is the case or not; the cheeky off-kilter songs you could both dance and laugh to are all but gone and what we're left with is an album filled with 1980s theatrics that is detrimental to the overall record
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