Pure, honest, real music. That’s MyFever’s mission. They bring it with their latest EP, Born For Spaces. The question is whether anyone will notice.
The Atlanta indie rockers have a tight, crisp sound that resembles Kings Of Leon meets The Hunna. They’re mature with a solid ambience. They have plenty of experimentation in their music that also isn’t run of the mill verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. They pride themselves on weaving a blend of alternative and arena-style rock with a touch of southern influence — all things to appreciate.
The strongest song on the EP is “Hear Me Now,” a song that I envision being exponentially greater live.
There’s also the cool, windy, nostalgic ballad in “Child Keepsake, Circa 1991,” a song that is very well-written and showcases Weston Hine’s strongest vocals.
But while these two tracks display the band’s immense talent, I feel most of the record is too safe, possibly white noise.
After listening to Born For Spaces several times, nothing sticks. There’s great instrumentals and I love the vocals. Even the writing is solid. But nothing resonated with me.
The first track, “Will You Stay,” opens with, what sounds like, Hine singing in a tin can. Again, appreciate the boldness of the experimentation, but in this case it doesn’t work. Especially with an EP of only six songs, there needs to be something to grab the listener’s attention right away. Something to pack a punch.
I feel the same with the last song, “100, Fill In The Blank,” which lacks the right dynamics; the song has a slight build, and I was waiting for the payoff … but in the end, no payoff. Just ambience.
Only three years in, MyFever is a band one could argue is still in its infancy. There’s no question the talent is there. I love this band’s potential. They’re just missing a hook. Even with “Hear Me Now,” a song I feel could get radio play, is also a track that is a ‘tweener – kinda like the great 6-foot-7 college forward who can’t make it in the NBA because he’s too small for power forward but also too big to play guard. He’s in-between — a ‘tweener. “Hear Me Now” seems too soft, too safe, for alternative radio but too cool for top 40. ‘Tweener.
Maybe their ambience or Kings Of Leon-ish jive will grab you. But I”m going to need a little more something to reel me in. Something badass that makes my brain light up like a Christmas tree. I hope they find it. I’ll be waiting for it on the next album.
Josh Helmuth is an editor for Crave and a longtime music lover whose first record was Eric Clapton. However, his first concert? That choice he will take to the grave.
Listen to Born For Spaces by MyFever here.
