FER paid us a visit about six months ago with a single, ‘Away from me’, which will also, like this one, be on her EP which has been rescheduled to the beginning of 2025 as an extra track has been added.
I noted her tremendous vocal ability and how she can make a song that concerns negative events or thoughts sound inspirational.
The new single, ‘Suburban Sunlight’ presses the right buttons from the off. The title alone suggests something Arcade Fire might have included on their Grammy winning ‘The Suburbs’.
She describes it as “a melancholic alt-pop song about fear of happiness, settling down and being true to yourself.”
Fear of happiness. That’s an unusual topic for a song. There is a technical term for it, Cherophobia, although what Chero did to deserve it, I don’t know!
It does make you wonder what sort of society we have created when such a thing can even exist.
I’m always wary of songs that start with a single note that lasts for eight seconds, two seconds longer than Spotify’s reputed six second margin in which, in the era of zero attention span, if the listener doesn’t register interest they’ll just shuffle on.
Then again M83 got away with it using almost the same single note on ‘Outro’.
In any case the day is saved by an otherwise brilliant introductory section with an African rhythm underpinning it (think Peter Gabriel/Manu Katché), followed by a line that demands you find out more:
“There’s a light across the street but it’s not for me.”
That says so much in a handful of words. There are so few artists that can do that. I think of the Dane, Lydmor, “I could be fun like rollercoaster rides, somebody says…and walks away// Can’t go home, there’s another tone of voice in the door phone…” on the first song she ever wrote and FER is right up there with her.
Vocally, again she demonstrates total command of the mood of the song with a sultry performance this time and with just a hint of Sade in the tone and the overall production.
Instrumentally, the mix is a delight with piano, guitar and what sounds like a vibraphone but may be a synthesiser combining into an entrancing piece which would be equally at home at Tavastia or a swanky downtown Helsinki supper club.
There’s a degree of professionalism throughout which is unusual for an artist that hasn’t released an EP yet, never mind a full album.
“Introvert disguised as an extrovert” is how Jennifer Markin bills herself. I don’t think she’s going to be introverted for long.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fermaj9official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fermaj9/
Photo by Vilja Vuolle.
