FVRMN – SUICIDES

FVRMN – SUICIDES – Album Review

One of the hardest working names we know of in the independent scene, J Holmes has had his head in the game for as long as we’ve been listening.  Whether it’s been making music with his band FVRMN (previously known as Fever Moon), or rocking solo, J has been a constant creator and certainly built his reputation around his music’s sonic durability & his oddly endearing, gruff-but-melodic vocal textures.  While it is true that this will be the third time I’ve reviewed J’s music already this year, the other two times came from his solo records called BALLADS and CEDARWINGS.  Though SUICIDES continues on with his ALL-CAPS trend of late, it’s also the first time we’ve reviewed FVRMN in about a year & a half as well – the last time being for the album Back To The Whip, which went on to be in our top ten of 2024.

No complaints from me as things get underway – “One Silver Drop” has that bizarrely bent and melted vibe that Holmes seems to create so naturally with his guitar work…that borderline grey-area of tuning that will often have you wondering if it’s completely on or just slightly off, but always listening.  Armed with full video support, “One Silver Drop” makes for a great single…the song has tangible & memorable hooks, vocals & lyrics are continually engaging – and c’mon y’all…the expanded musicianship he brings to the mid-section of this first track is bloody brilliant.  J’s a damn good player with a very distinct style he’s honed throughout the years – so for myself personally, I’ve been looking forward to songs like these where he’d choose to flex that muscle a little more for us.  What I loved about the large length of the solo in “One Silver Drop” is that I didn’t feel like it affected its accessibility in any kind of negative way whatsoever – in fact, it’s so interesting to listen to that for once, I’d tell you a long solo in a single is actually a large part of what will drive people back to listen again & again.  I know what you’re thinking – that’s crazy, right?  Since when does quality musicianship get featured in single-worthy songs and have people wanting MORE?  Didn’t the modern-day era of short attention spans kill off solos at the end of last season?  “One Silver Drop” proves the art of the solo is not only alive and well, it’s freakin’ thriving.  Credit where credit is due, he enlisted some additional all-star talent for this first cut, which includes Leo Abrahams taking you on a sonic adventure in the solo of “One Silver Drop.”  It’s crisp all around though, and I dig it entirely – “One Silver Drop” sounds both urgent, and dangerous.

Have I mentioned how much J’s music has reminded me of a band called Cold Water Flat before?  I’m not checking through all the archives to figure that mystery out, but I must have said that somewhere along the line I’m sure…and yeah…as I listened to “Parasitic Sympathy II,” I felt like that’s a comparison that still applies.  Cold Water Flat was this really unknown and underground band in the 90s that didn’t last nearly as long as they should have…really interesting sound to what they created, from my perspective.  Anyhow.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this comparison at some point, and if I didn’t that’s on me, I should have.  “Parasitic Sympathy II” – you read that correctly folks!  That implies there’s a part ONE…and you’re all familiar with it, yes?  “Parasitic Sympathy” was arguably my favorite song on the God’s Heart EP that FVRMN released back in 2023.  As for what warranted the sequel or what the tie-ins are between this song and part one…I’m just gonna go ahead and say I’m a little perplexed by it in that regard.  Doesn’t mean I don’t love what I hear – I actually do – but yeah…a bit of a head scratcher as to how it relates to the original “Parasitic Sympathy,” if it in fact, does at all.  J’s gonna be the one that knows the answer to that more than I ever could…it might just be that he felt like the line “Parasitic Sympathy” had more than one way of being used in a song and he didn’t feel like he was finished with it yet – wouldn’t that be just as valid of a reason as any other could be?  I’m a firm believer that we don’t need to know all the ins and outs of what makes a song what it is to those that created it, as opposed to what we need to know in order to enjoy it as listeners.  Sometimes a title is just a title…not all lyrics end up adding up to some kind of larger meaning – essentially, we don’t need to jump down every single rabbit hole that comes our way, because not all of’em are that deep, you feel me?  What I can tell you for a certainty, is that while I might still be more partial to part one of “Parasitic Sympathy” when push comes to shove, I’d still readily tell ya that its sequel is a kickass tune that goes in a totally new direction.  Yeah…maybe that’s what I’m wondering about more than anything else…with the two songs appearing to be so noticeably different, what are the perceived benefits of tying them together by their titles?  That’s where you know Holmes must know something we don’t about the meanings behind these songs.

“Moloch” is the only song on the record where the lyrics are published in ALL-CAPS…so I guess listen up?  J’s a man of mystery and he always has been…I don’t know why “Moloch” is written in ALL-CAPS any more than I know what ties “Parasitic Sympathy” I & II together…and I’m okay with that.  I’ve only claimed to know what sounds good to me in life…anything/everything beyond that is well outside my jurisdiction of informed opinion.  The chorus on this cut is worth the price of admission on its own if you ask me:  “YOUR FRIENDS THINK I’M CRAZY.  YOUR DADDY THINKS I’M DRUNK.  YOU GOTTA FEED ME BABIES TO SATISFY MY LOVE.”  I bet on paper a lot of people would read that and think J’s some kind of Death Metal singer that’s going to scream at you about eating children…but I’d also bet that anyone out there pushing play would be pleasantly surprised by what they find.  There’s a whole lot more melody at the core of FVRMN’s music than what most would assume I’m sure…J’s got that quintessential voice that sounds like it’s been coated in years of dust & smoke…but man…I wouldn’t ever want this guy to cough his way to a cleaner sound than the one he’s rocking with.  I like to think of it as a voice that has been through the war…the grizzled sound of wisdom and experience combined…I dunno…maybe I’ll accept that he’s probably an acquired taste for some listeners, but to me, when this dude gets it right and the melody reaches the surface the way it should through maximizing the potential in his songwriting…it’s really something else.  “Moloch” is a highlight example of how J’s voice is able to morph the material past being just another song into a moment that you can genuinely feel…he’s got a real gift for melody.

MAN!  Case in-point…c’mon y’all…“French Uhuru” is a stellar example of how insanely addictive the music of FVRMN can be at its most potent.  Hell – J’s outdone himself here…to the point where he’s even mentioned Jesus Jones!  That’s a band that most people don’t even realize they know…but of course it was in my catalog growing up and I spent more time listening to their album Doubt than the majority of people on the planet I’m sure.  If that ain’t a one-time humblebrag, I don’t know what else could be – I doubt I’ll get the opportunity to riff on Jesus Jones again in the next twenty years ahead.  So that’s rad…J made my day with that one.  Overall though, “French Uhuru” is nothing short of brilliant, it’s not just the one line.  This is that unbeatable combination of grit-meets-gravitas that works so damn well for Holmes and his crew.  Mario Rubalcaba (Drums) and Daniel Gardner (Bass) have been essential ingredients to the music of FVRMN from the drop on this album, and you can audibly hear the difference they make in the way a song like “French Uhuru” punches right through your speakers so that you feel it.  I’ve loved every minute of the music & material on SUICIDES so far, but once I got to “French Uhuru” I felt like I had to be hitting the apex, right?  This is the kind of song that has so much appeal to my ears that I felt like whatever was going to follow this particular cut was likely going to struggle to reach me with the same impact & effect.  As I’ve always maintained with FVRMN and J’s music…you simply can’t miss it when everything goes perfectly right from start to finish.  From the brilliance of the melody at the core of this song, to the wild & wonderful solo laid down by Snarky Puppy’s Chris McQueen that you’ll find in the finale, “French Uhuru” is as stellar as it gets, full stop.  Definitely one of my favorites, 100%.

Loving the energy on “Dogs!”  This machine gets humming along at full speed right away, and never seems to let up from there.  Heck, you’ve even got the man himself practically breaking the equivalent of the 4^th wall with J going rogue for a moment at the end of each chorus, sounding a bit livelier than we tend to find the man at most points when he’s singing…and I dig that too.  It’s like we don’t know he’s capable of grabbing the spark and running with it, but it’s tracks like “Dogs” that prove that Holmes can get fired up and sound great doin’ it.  For real though…there’s something about “Dogs” that really does have this mechanical type feel to it…like the players in FVRMN are so locked into this moment and ready for every part of it that it’s like the proverbial well-oiled machine at work.  So…don’t get me wrong – it still sounds natural and organic, but at the same time, it feels so brilliantly well-rehearsed that you can’t help but feel like “Dogs” was simply a song this band was born to play.  What’s that saying?  That whole thing where preparation meets opportunity?  That’s what this song sounds like, right?  For how much I was certain that whatever came after “French Uhuru” would suffer a bit in terms of placement within the lineup of songs on SUICIDES…I feel like I couldn’t be proven more wrong than I have been with my assumption – “Dogs” is every bit as killer as I could have ever hoped to find in this particular slot in the set-list, and I’d go as far as to say this is another strong candidate to be the people’s favorite cut as well.

The reality is, there’s a lot of competition for what might be your favorite track.  Here at the point of track six on SUICIDES, with its lower-case title-track, you almost have to wonder if you’ve been listening to an album with a perfect arc to it.  I kept thinking that there had to be some kind of crack in the armor to be found somewhere, but it never seems to get revealed.  Like, I’m confident that many listeners out there would still feel like this album is on its way up by the time they’re listening to “Suicides,” and to be completely fair, I’m not sure they’d be wrong!  “Suicides” has many of the hallmarks of a great single in it as well.  Of course, subject matter might make it a less likely choice to fill that single-worthy spot when it comes to the mainstream and such, but sound-wise, it would definitely work.  It’s got a very BIG sound to it…probably a more noticeable inclusion of Pop than we typically associate with FVRMN, but man-oh-man does this hit the mark!  I’m probably going to be on the side of it being everything outside of the chorus here that makes the biggest impact on me personally, but believe me when I tell ya, it’s still a good fit for the song…I suppose it’s more of a comment on how the uniqueness of the verses and what feels like more exploratory & ambitious ideas are what really leads this title-track to its biggest victories.

Yeah man…so like…look…I know I’m a fan, and I know I end up saying this almost every time I listen to these guys, but FVRMN genuinely has their shit together – that’s why each time I listen to something new that they’ve done, I’m pretty much convinced that it’s the best I’ve heard from them to-date.  As I listened to the robust and bold tones of “Too Innocent” and the remarkable confidence that it’s played with…I mean…y’all…J and his crew are at the very least giving their amazing album Back To The Whip a very, very good run for its money with their latest material.  What can I say?  It feels GOOD to hear an artist or band that is fully dialed into what makes them special, what makes them great – and the entire time I’ve been listening to SUICIDES, I’ve just felt like this is another no-notes situation for FVRMN.  I’m not hearing anything that I’d wanna change, and I’m hearing electrifying performances like the one on “Too Innocent” that are freakishly riveting to experience, because the purpose, passion, and intention is present in every single note and tone you’ll hear.  It’s an awesome example of keeping things on the level and uncomplicated, but maximizing every element to its full potential.  As in, I’m sure you could ask the chaps in FVRMN about the complexity of a song like “Too Innocent” and they’d all tell ya they could probably play this particular cut in their sleep!  It’s not about going for being needlessly complex, it’s about getting the best out of every ingredient involved, and that’s exactly what they’ve done with this song right here.  Lyrically, it’s got some of the best words from J’s mind, and vocally, his mouth did them all justice by singin’em right…the power he puts behind his lyricism is cleverly performance-minded, but at the same time, it’s also a true reflection of having solid material he can believe in from start to finish.  I love Daniel’s bass on this song…and when combined with the grit of J’s guitars & the punch of Marco’s drums…I feel like “Too Innocent” is easily one of the most potent performances I’ve heard from FVRMN.

I had my eye on “Invitation Phase” from the moment I saw it in the lineup, because it’s a sizeable length that’s nearly a minute longer than any other song on the record at a total of 6:09.  I don’t think there is any reason whatsoever to doubt the music or vocals or songwriting of FVRMN at this point in time and where they’re at in their career, but you always have to be curious about how a band will go about using a significant amount of extra length when it’s not something they’d normally do.  And then usually from there, I’m always going to wonder what makes this song become the long one instead of that one, you feel me?  Like, where’s my ten minute versions of “French Uhuru” or “Dogs” or “Too Innocent” – I promise ya I won’t complain!  In any event, I suppose “Invitation Phase” drew the long straw, so it got the extra time.  With the searing, colorful, and wild solo in the middle, it’d be hard to be disappointed in the end results, because you get a little more time to spend with the musicianship of FVRMN, and that’s always a good thing in my books.  All-in-all…what do I think here…hmmm?  I’m gonna be real with ya and say that it’s still a little surprising that this was the choice to be the longest cut on SUICIDES in the sense that I think it’s probably the cut of all cuts that needs more time to grow on you, as opposed to how easy it is to like or love just about every other song on the album.  Having said that, if we were to consider “Invitation Phase” to somehow be at the bottom of your list of favorites, how freakin’ happy would you be if you were in FVRMN?  I’d be stark raving ecstatic y’all!  “Invitation Phase” is still a great song by any conceivable definition…it’s simply got more of it for you to love, and sometimes lovin’ takes time…ain’t more complicated than that.  “Invitation Phase” still has exceptional hooks, still has vibrant instrumentation, great lyrics & vocals…it’ll all there, just spread out on a bigger canvas for you to enjoy.  When I realized that there’s a good chance the masses might feel like “Invitation Phase” could be the track that took the longest to get on board with, and realized how much they’ll become attached to it when they finally do after a series of repeat spins…that’s when I really started to clue in just how stellar this new album from FVRMN is once again, and that they’re still right at the top of their game right now.

Amping-up the energy for one last ride, “Razorblade” finishes off SUICIDES with a precision cut that’s built on what so many out there love from FVRMN at their most rambunctious.  You all know what it’s like to hear the bands you love put out a song that could power the electricity of your house with the energy it emits…and so this here Bud’s for you, partner.  Personally, I love this kinda stuff…it reminds me a lot of why I like bands like Superchunk for example, a band that is also armed with ace musicians that make it all seem effortless and the moment itself feel like it’s barely held together by a live wire at the same time.  This is the youthful spirit of music and a highlight example of how it doesn’t ever have to die as long as you can still feel it and tap into its magical essence.  Music is the goddamn fountain of youth for so many people out there, and listening to “Razorblade” will have you believing that the boys of FVRMN are never gonna die.  Plus it has this like…glorious J Mascis-esque solo in it as well, provided by the legendary Chris McQueen of Snarky Puppy making his second appearance on the album…so…yeah – I mean…what am I supposed to do here – not like this last song when it has so much to love?  I’ve made the case for what my favorite tracks are on SUICIDES…you know what they are if you’ve been paying close attention – but I’m tellin’ ya directly and as clear as I possibly can…there are NO dead moments on this record.  Every track hits just the way you wanna hear it from FVRMN, and the album shows that this band is still thriving & thrashing in their creative prime, with no signs of’em slowing down anytime soon.

Find the brand-new album SUICIDES, and kickass merch from FVRMN at Steadfast Records right here:  https://steadfastrecords.net

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