Film School

Fission

01. Heart Full Of Pentagons
02. When I'm Yours
03. Time To Listen
04. Waited
05. Meet Around 10
06. Direct
07. Still Might
08. Distant Life
09. Sunny Day
10. Bones
11. Nothing's Mine
12. Find You Out

Fission is album number four for Film School. I have been sitting on writing this review for a week – spending a little more time with the material, as I didn’t immediately like the album as much as their last two. After some repeat listens, I believe Fission may be the album that finally gets Film School their much deserved audience. Here’s why:

Over their last two albums and respective touring, Film School built up an audience on the back of their original music that lifts heavily from the sounds of early shoegazer / brit pop circa 1990 – 1994. Material like ‘11:11’; ‘Dear Me’ and ‘Lectric’ shimmer with dervish-like guitaring reminiscent of the better material from Ride and Catherine Wheel – which was an easy sell to my ears as the afore mentioned bands are two of my favourites from that era.

Fission is a different sounding album for Film School. The songs on Fission are a bit tighter in running time – and boast lyrics that are more prominent and easy to follow than both previous albums. While there are still elements of the requisite dream-pop Film School are known and loved for, it’s songs like ‘Distant Life’; 'Bones' and ‘When I’m Yours’  that beacon the shift in direction for Film School, owing more to bands like Joy Division and Television than anything they have attempted in the past.

There’s still plenty for fans of Film School’s older material to clamp onto - like the blissed-out ending of ‘Still Might’ – which is hardly a guitar solo, yet still something sedately wonderful to behold all the same. ‘Time To Listen’ and ‘Sunny Day’ feature prominent vocals from Lorelei Plotczyk who channels Lush perfectly on anything she sings. Lead single ‘Heart Full of Pentagrams’ is simply a wonderful song – and should serve the release of Fission well. It’s a perfect balance of everything that is both old and new about Film School, and heralds the listening experience for the remaining eleven songs on the new album effectively.

By Mike Bax

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