Heavenly synth-pop that’s bound to get you dancing.
FancyNormal have dropped their debut EP ‘Starters and Appetizers’. The Melbourne-based pop duo features vocalist Noni and producer Jules, formed during last year’s COVID lockdowns.
This latest release builds on the momentum of their previous singles, shimmery summer jams ’Ultra Passion’ and ‘Sober Spaceman’ (see below).
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With a love of 80’s synth-pop, FancyNormal takes inspiration from the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and Whitney Houston. Addressing subjects such as depression, heartbreak, and social anxiety through a pop lens, ‘Starters and Appetizers’ is full of cathartic crying-in-the-club tunes comparable to Robyn and Jessie Ware.
“The goal was to take some of that complicated mess that all of us generally walked through and share it through the most romantic musical era ever – 80s synth pop,” FancyNormal says of the EP.
The first serving on ‘Starters and Appetizers’ is the instrumental track ‘Butterflies and SSRIs.’ Full of heavenly vocal chops drenched in reverb, this is a beautiful way to introduce the EP.
This flows effortlessly onto ‘Ultra Passion,’ a nostalgic ode to young love.
“The older you get and the more aware you are of yourself in the present, the more you understand why you made certain decisions in the past.”
‘Sober Spaceman’ features introspective lyrics hidden beneath sugary production and soaring vocals. The breezy verses build up to a euphoric chorus. FancyNormal discuss the inspiration behind the track: “This is a song to encourage others in the same boat to just step into life and live each day as it comes.”
‘Sad Champagne’ has an infectious bounce accentuated by organic percussion, featuring a smooth hook where Noni contemplates a relationship.
“I just need to be alone, but I don’t want to be alone.”
The EP’s moody closer ‘Private Wine’ takes on minimal production that lets Noni’s powerhouse vocals shine. Speaking about the EP, the band says it captures the emotions around growing up, and coming to understand love.
“Starters & Appetizers is a recollection of growing up and what it was like trying to learn about love and a commentary of understanding yourself in the present.
Sometimes the haziness of memory mixed with crisp emotions can create a sweet snapshot of something that was actually toxic.
We can romanticise dysfunction but when you cut the BS out, you’re left with the heartbreak.”
Listen to ‘Starters and Appetizers’ below.
‘Starters and Appetizers’ is out now. For more on FancyNormal, visit their website.
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