Fuchsia
We were recently sent through a copy of From Psychedelia…To A Distant Place, from 70’s band Fuchsia, to see what we thought. As their first album in 40 years, this new record picks up where Fuchsia V 1.0 (their only release) left off. Speaking of the record, Durant (guitar and lead vocals) says ‘Fuchsia was a work of love unfinished, abandoned, left for dead, but then it would appear some projects can take on a life of their own. My return to writing for Fuchsia has been due to the personal response I have had to that strange little album I recorded so long ago. When I abandoned it, it seemed to go off and do its own thing’, demonstrating the feeling behind the music as well as the drive to complete the overall picture of the band. With 40 years of history in 9 tracks, this promises to be an album showcasing the journey that the band as a whole have taken over the time since that release, so what of the music?
Melancholy Rd. gets things going in an upbeat manner, combining the different elements within the band into a sound that’s light hearted, easy going, and packed with that 70’s style vibe. It’s striking how up to date a sound has been crafted here, combining the vocals with acoustic guitars, soaring vocals and soft rhythms to form something which is catchy, upbeat, and perfectly suited for a day in the sun. Girl From Kandahar continues this approach further, once again luring the listener in as things get going before building on the soft opening moments. Reflecting the thought process which led to the creation of the album, this is more than just a track, and takes the listener through a journey as it progresses. As the vocals tell the story, the backing music keeps things moving, keeping you involved and keeping you guessing as to what’s coming next – a clever track for sure, infused with Eastern style approaches.
Continuing on through Lost Generations the album twists and turns, this time leaning on the violin further to bolster the mix, before ushering in a twangy electric guitar sound. More upbeat than the previous tracks, this here is dancing music, and the sort of thing that’s impossible to sit still to as it plays out. Fuchsia Song keeps this approach going with aplomb, sticking to the psychedelic approach whilst still managing to keep that sense of modern freshness moving through things. Intentional or not, there’s something about this track which screams single, the sort of thing that could well generate some serious radio play for the band, and the sort of track that people are going to connect with from the word go.
Moving through the album, track after track seems to flow out with their signature sound, from I’ll Remember Her Face to Rainbow Song, Crossing The Big C to The Waves, each one showcasing their style and proving that 40 years can lead to some serious inspiration on the song writing front. It’s only then left to Piper At The Gates to close things, finishing with another hard hitting and powerful track, packed with elements which show how much understanding of song writing there is within the band. Standing out as my personal favourite track off of the album, the closing moments bring what’s been a piece of art to a close, and leaves things wide open for a follow up – finishing (as clichéd as it sounds) on a high.
Fuchsia have put together something here which isn’t an album so to speak, it’s more of a musical journey, a time stamp which shows their development from the previous album, and shows how current music from a time gone by can be. Based on this it seems a shame that it’s been 40 years, but here’s hoping they decide to produce something a little sooner this time around!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Melancholy Rd. gets things going in an upbeat manner, combining the different elements within the band into a sound that’s light hearted, easy going, and packed with that 70’s style vibe. It’s striking how up to date a sound has been crafted here, combining the vocals with acoustic guitars, soaring vocals and soft rhythms to form something which is catchy, upbeat, and perfectly suited for a day in the sun. Girl From Kandahar continues this approach further, once again luring the listener in as things get going before building on the soft opening moments. Reflecting the thought process which led to the creation of the album, this is more than just a track, and takes the listener through a journey as it progresses. As the vocals tell the story, the backing music keeps things moving, keeping you involved and keeping you guessing as to what’s coming next – a clever track for sure, infused with Eastern style approaches.
Continuing on through Lost Generations the album twists and turns, this time leaning on the violin further to bolster the mix, before ushering in a twangy electric guitar sound. More upbeat than the previous tracks, this here is dancing music, and the sort of thing that’s impossible to sit still to as it plays out. Fuchsia Song keeps this approach going with aplomb, sticking to the psychedelic approach whilst still managing to keep that sense of modern freshness moving through things. Intentional or not, there’s something about this track which screams single, the sort of thing that could well generate some serious radio play for the band, and the sort of track that people are going to connect with from the word go.
Moving through the album, track after track seems to flow out with their signature sound, from I’ll Remember Her Face to Rainbow Song, Crossing The Big C to The Waves, each one showcasing their style and proving that 40 years can lead to some serious inspiration on the song writing front. It’s only then left to Piper At The Gates to close things, finishing with another hard hitting and powerful track, packed with elements which show how much understanding of song writing there is within the band. Standing out as my personal favourite track off of the album, the closing moments bring what’s been a piece of art to a close, and leaves things wide open for a follow up – finishing (as clichéd as it sounds) on a high.
Fuchsia have put together something here which isn’t an album so to speak, it’s more of a musical journey, a time stamp which shows their development from the previous album, and shows how current music from a time gone by can be. Based on this it seems a shame that it’s been 40 years, but here’s hoping they decide to produce something a little sooner this time around!
Words: Dave Nicholls