Are We Gonna Be Alright?

Brighton, England's Fickle Friends already had a strong grasp on making hooky, synth-accented indie pop when they released their inspired debut, 2018's Mike Crossey-produced You Are Someone Else. While that album certainly showcased their skill at crafting emotive anthems rife with frothy, dance-oriented arrangements, they continued to hone their sound, spending much of 2019 and 2020 working on two self-produced EPs, Weird Years (Season 1 and 2), that found them maturing and deepening their '80s and '90s pop influences. Building nicely upon that process, Fickle Friends' sophomore full-length, 2022's Are We Gonna Be Alright?, is immediately engaging with a sound that's as catchy as their past work. Produced by guitarist Jack Wilson, the album has a nuanced sophistication that balances synthy, dayglow ambience, glassy post-punk guitars, and shimmering dance grooves. Several tracks, including "Love You to Death" and "Glow," have a funky, polyester-toned kineticism that brings to mind Prince. Conversely, cuts like "Write Me a Song" and "Yeah Yeah Yeah" mash distorted electro-grunge guitars with swirling EDM sound swells, all of which evokes the '90s alt-rock swagger of bands like Garbage and Blur. Once again at the center of the group's sound is vocalist Natti Shiner, whose warm, down-to-earth sensuality and lyrics about house parties, online dating, and, as on "Not Okay," trying to vocalize her fear for the future add a soft relatability to the band's effusive, cinematic pop. ~ Matt Collar