ALBUM REVIEW: Fortitude Valley – Fortitude Valley
FORTITUDE VALLEY take their name from an area in Brisbane, Australia, which also happens to be the hometown of frontwoman Laura Kovic. She’s best known for being the keyboard player for London band, TIGERCATS, but after buying a guitar in February 2018, she took the bull by the horns and joined forces with Greg Ullyart, Nathan Stephens Griffin and Daniel Ellis to form this new project. Recorded in two parts in 2019 and 2021, the band’s self-titled debut is a departure from the indie pop sound of TIGERCATS, this time leaning more towards the punk sound.
The album opens with Baby, I’m Afraid. A bass-heavy indie-pop song, it leans safely into the accessible side of things. It almost feels like FORTITUDE VALLEY are playing it safe with the first song, but there is a hint of something different that is just desperate to take the spotlight. Wreck continues in the same vein as its predecessor. These songs are nice enough and Kovic‘s voice suits the genre, but you can’t help but wish that there would be something a little different.
All Hail The Great Destroyer is a fun and easy-going song dedicated to Kovic‘s rescue cat, who was an inspiration. The flow of the album is flawless, thanks to the stellar production by Giles Barrett and Neil Combstock. This is shown in the smooth transition between the third song and The Right Thing (Part 1). This is also where things change for the album. Thankfully, this one’s a slightly more ‘out there’ song. Embracing the light pop-punk sound does wonders for the band. You can just feel the energy emitting from the song, and this band is truly at their best when they let go and have fun.
From here, the band gratefully carry this sound forward. It’s The Hope That Kills You has the same pop-punk sound, but made much more gentler. While this is not a bad thing because it brings variety to the album, there is an argument to be made that it does slow things down a bit. This is a shame because the album had a definitive flow, but it is worth remembering that this is only FORTITUDE VALLEY‘s debut.
Thankfully, things pick up again on Cassini. An upbeat indie-rock song, it’s a risk-taker, with a sound which leans more on the rock side of the genre. Unfortunately, the song is only two minutes and 27 seconds long. What You Wanted does carry on the indie-rock sound, but tones it down a bit.
In sum, FORTITUDE VALLEY‘s debut album is a mixed bag. There are definitely songs that really suit the band – often the ones out of their comfort zone – but unfortunately they seem to explore those sounds only to crawl back to the safety of indie-pop. This is a real shame, as it’s clear they are all very talented and Kovic‘s voice is very good, but the lack of direction does make the album a bit unfocused. However, this is just their debut album, and they have plenty of time to perfect their craft. Furthermore, as the album covers a lot of genres, there is something here for everyone.
Rating: 7/10
Fortitude Valley is set for release on October 29th via Fika Recordings.
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