The Fernweh

Revered as untethered journeymen exploring the lesser-charted seas of 20thCenturysoundtracks, psych, electro and acid-laced folk,The Fernwehrelease their newalbum on 1stJuly.Delayed by lockdowns and vinyl supply chain fandangos...Cult-folk-psych treasuresThe Fernweh flip the page to mine 80s and 90s referencesontheir long-awaited,second album–TORSCHLUSSPANIK!Built around peals of glam, star-spangled guitars and rock opera keys, the band’s newest sounds signpost listeners to aband transformed by electricity, choosing to plug-in rather than wig-out for album number two.The leap from their2018 debut to this follow up, is typified by two singles released last year...An audacious cocktail of synth-driven influences indebted to the high-resolution ofTron,theirsingleThe Wounds OfLoveprovidedafirst tasterindebted toeighties soundtrack legends likeJohnCarpenterandWendy Carlos. Then camethecontrasting singleThe Pike,a stepping stone between their two colliding worlds. On one side the tank-topped, cold-war-era escapism of their self-titled2018 debutandon the other this secondalbum, a near baby-out-with-the-bathwater new start that centres-in on later eras of decadence and optimistic, neon-lit futures.Elsewhere on the album is their recent singlePas Devant Les Enfants (Not in front of the children),with a chimingcircular guitar motif and a foot stomping beat, the band leads you on a merry dance that offers up The Fernweh soundwith a series of unanswered questions and ethereal vocals.And then there isEnd Of The Summertime, where the fading of the seasonal light is less than literal, taking a realist’sview of sadness and a romantic’s view of recovery. As ever, The Fernweh’s lyrics are fathoms deep, refusing to throwaway a single line without gifting it power. The tracks’ accompanying video, featuringLiverpool-based poet,Roy, offersa suitably affecting view of the human condition.Originally an assemblage of Crowther,Jamie BackhouseandAustin Murphy, three long-suffering session musicians whoswore–on a hilltop overlookingGlastonbury–to one day make the album all three knew they could make, and wantedto hear, The Fernweh’s first album offeredradio-favourite singles,The LiarandNext Time Around. Acquiring cult statusamongst discerningrecord buyers, the critical-acclaim that followed offered a leg-up to bigger stages than they haddreamt of playing before.The Wounds Of LoveandThe Pikeappeared first on The Fernweh’s 2019Sunsighs EPon theeve of theirTeenage Cancer Trustappearance, playing at theRoyal Albert HallwithDovesandThe Coral. The bandworked on their second album in studios in both the North West and South West of England drawing together long-standing musical friends as collaborators, promising a journey every bit as intoxicating as the first