Fremmand – Wrong LP (Tutl Records)

Right off the bat, I want to be honest and admit that this is my first encounter with Fremmand, and I must say this was more than a pleasant surprise. This Faroe Islands quintet comes from the city of Tórshavn, and their music encompasses genres such as indie rock and post-punk. Since their inception, the group released dozen of singles such as Unknown Faces, Holding On To Love, Veit At Tú Ert Her, Í Sprekkunum, Tu Brennur Í Mær, Powder Face, A Matter Of Time, and a debut self-titled full-length album. Fremmand recently released their second full-length album simplistically named Wrong, which carries nine brand new compositions. This particular album was heavily promoted over social media by the series of singles such as Holding On To Love (Live Version), Legendary Lover, Vón, and Calling It Out.

If you’re encountering this group for the first time like me, you will notice a very cold, detailed, melancholic approach to indie rock music. However, this coldness is a product of their admiration towards post-punk aesthetics, which is vividly hearable throughout the entire recording. Besides post-punk, you may stumble upon elements of dark-wave, synth-pop, industrial-pop, and alternative rock. These ingredients have been accentuated by the exceptional contemporary production, which showcases all the articulations in the brightest light. The entire recording sounds precise, clean, and polished to the max, with some exceptions of occasionally abrasive-sounding synths.

Fremmand goes from a fully detailed to slightly minimal performance in a matter of seconds, but the music sounds equally delightful in both cases. No matter if we’re talking about synth-infused themes, vividly hearable basslines, ear-slapping drumming performance, notable guitar licks, and outstanding female lead vocals, Fremmand showcases exceptional quality with series of precise sonic articulations. You may notice how Siouxie And The Banshees, Nine Inch Nails, Bauhaus, The Cure, and many other renowned groups affected their songwriting, but Fremmand embrace a wide span of other elements, so they sound undoubtfully unique. To be honest, I couldn’t pick my favorite composition off this album, so I will declare the album as an indie rock/post-punk gem that will certainly mark this part of the year.

Wrong comes on a transparent magenta vinyl by Tutl Records, but it is also available at streaming services such as Spotify. Highly recommended for those who’re into cold, dark, melancholic music performed with so much sense for balance.