There’s something profoundly visceral about just looking at the dark side. Not in a depressing sort of way, rather in a cold, hard achnowledgement of the rough edges we so often blur out. A.S. Fanning’s new album, Mushroom Cloud, (pinpoints) just that, bringing those blurred memories and peripheral horrors into sharp relief.
Organic and analogue sound rub shoulders with expertly unsettling production. Fanning’s rich vocalism slides in to deliver his hard truths in gorgeous form and the listener is left to stare down the deep dark sonic well he has dug.
A screeching, chaotic intro opens the album on the title track. Clinging to the soothing synth which shifts just under the surface, Fanning’s warm baritone gets real about the isolation, paranoia and mental stagnation of COVID times. Keeping things on cue, “Conman” follows with an atmospheric percussive beat, while he calls out the peddlers of distraction for their crimes.
Just about every facet of fear and confusion you can direct at anything these days is explored here. Rhythm-rooted alt-indie leads “Haunted” as he struggles to detangle himself from the past. The balladry of “Sober” sees him indulge in the fantasy of quitting it all and hopping on a whaling ship up north, while “I Feel Bad” unpacks his depression piece by piece.
The only glimmer of hope comes with closer “Pink Morning”, as he wraps up his dark confessional with the silver lining he withheld until that moment. It’s a deeply complex, fraught and sometimes feral album, and one that sees Fanning at some of his best so far.
Feature pic supplied by artist
