At this point we all must have accepted that algorithms and data control huge aspects of our lives even if we don’t want to admit it. One algorithm we can all confess being grateful for though is whatever magic streaming services use to recommend new music to us. This is how I’ve come across so many of the bands I love today and Fresh are definitely in the upper echelons of my list.
Raise Hell is their newest endeavour into album territory following 2017’s self-titled debut Fresh and 2019’s sophomore adventure Withdraw. While Withdraw will always contain my favourite raw Fresh hits like ‘Going To Brighton’ and ‘New Girl’, Raise Hell naturally matures from previous albums while staying true to the refreshing DIY sound the band have cultivated.
Setting the stage for an impressive return for Fresh, opening track ‘Our Love’ combines an 8-bit style synth with the crunchy guitars we’ve come to expect from the band while lead singer Kathryn Woods contemplates how “our love” can grow, want more, and speak out. As a whole, Raise Hell explores the confusion, frustration and enjoyment that come as a package deal with all types of love.
One of my favourite tracks from the album explores these different types of love perfectly. ‘Going To Bed’ tells the story of a blossoming crush and overcoming the accompanying fears to pursue it. Lead singer Kathryn Woods said there is also a focus on self-love, “typical therapy clichés and self-soothing activities (trust myself more/light a candle etc.) made into eerie, sacred rituals and manifesting your own safe space”. These themes are where the maturity of this album shines through however they are still showcased with a fuzzy Fresh charm.
Raise Hell comes fresh off the heels of EP The Summer I Got Good At Guitar just over a year ago, exploding the built up lockdown hype in a blast of indie punk that is bound to propel the band into and beyond their summer of live shows. You can catch Fresh on a run of dates in August as well as at Washed Out Festival, I’m definitely going to try to.