Album Review: Alunah - Fever Dream
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I remember sometime around the late 2000’s early 2010’s going to see Alunah live for the first time in a tiny room upstairs at The Giffard Arms in Wolverhampton, and I’ve always kept a close eye on them ever since.
Obviously, they’ve had numerous line-up changes since then, and the vocalist changed from Sophie Day over to Sian Greenaway, but the style, riffs and passion have remained and with their latest album “Fever Dream”, they may have just produced their best music.
It kicks off with a dreamy progressive riff sequence on the opening track “Never Too Late” before Sian’s vocals overrides it all and takes over the song. Forged from a period of extensive jamming and soul searching, the album digs into the core of what makes the band tick, and the guitar licks in this song will have you moving about. To be fair, the album is full of melodies, and it mixes really well with the different sounds they’ve incorporated.
The 70’s feel to the opening of “Trickster of Time” is a thing of beauty, and I love the bass sound from Daniel Burchmore, combined with that bluesy riff, the song flows well before we get the slower, softer and more melancholic title track “Fever Dream”. With a dash of psychedelia, it once again shows the diversity of the band, and they are playing to the strengths of Greenaway’s vocal range.
The middle section of tracks, show the emotive journey that the band have been on whilst recording the album. “Hazy Jane” has another sumptuous bass line flowing through it, whilst the guitars from Matt Noble are subtle whilst being understated. Their varied approach continues with the fuzzy sound that’s full of eastern promise on “Sacred Grooves” as it’s such a laid-back track with a groovy undertone. Then it changes again, with the drums from Jake Mason leading out instrumental track “Celestial” with the flute giving that joyous ambient tone.
Alunah are one of those bands who seem to evolve continuously and keep surprising people with their quality. “The Odyssey” sees them return to what they do best with those stoner riffs coming thick and fast before the doom and roll of “Far From Reality” hits you. This one feels a bit darker and has what I think is the best riff on the album from Noble. The nine-track album ends with “I’ve Paid the Price” accompanied by the soft piano introduction and a melody that will have your head nodding along in appreciation.
This is a hugely enjoyable album, and as I said at the start, is probably their best to date.
