The reason this album is so anticipated, and not just by me I can assure you, is that Fixers have spent the last couple of years releasing excellent singles such as ‘Majesties Ranch’, ‘Swimmhaus Johannesburg’ and ‘Iron Deer Dream’, as well as treating us to two brilliant EP releases in the form of Here Come 2001 So Let’s All Head For The Sun and Imperial Goddess Of Mercy. The quality of these releases is undeniable, and with We’ll Be The Moon featuring all of the previous noted singles as well as some tracks from the aforementioned EPs and some new tracks, fervour for the album was bubbling away. Could Fixers replicate the sunshine laced magic of their previous releases, and amalgamate their best work into one shining new body of work?
The answer, as if could have been anything, is a resounding yes. YES. In capitals. Just like I’ve written. Because if you think of connotations of the word ‘yes’, you could probably take many of them and apply them to this glorious release. We’ll Be The Moon is everything great about Fixers, and then some. With their sun soaked tunes and summer vibes abounding all over the album like rays of golden light, this could be a modern day classic. Opening with the jangling and bright ‘Majesties Ranch’ was a wise move, as it sets the tone for the album, almost like the announcement of summer itself. This tune went down a treat when released earlier as a single, so it’s no surprise to see it here. Songs that the band have releases before, such as ‘Swimmhaus Johannesburg’, ‘Crystals’ and ‘Iron Deer Dream’ were all terrific on their first release and pleasingly have lost none of their appeal, slotting nicely into the running order of the album.
The album, and by extension the band, really excel with the new tunes that comprise the rest of the album. It could have been easy to just stick together all the previous single and EP releases as one disc and put that out, but Fixers aren’t the kind of band to do that. They’ve not sat back on their laurels and have written some utterly cracking new tunes that complement the old favourites well. Fusing their own brand of psychedelia with Beach Boy pop sensibilities, marrying synthesizer driven beats with jangling guitars, tunes like ‘Floating Up’, ‘Pink Light’ and ‘Dais Flowers’ are surely destined to become instant fan favourites, whilst the floating, ethereal ‘World Of Beauty’ is possibly one of the best tracks they’ve ever written, with a trippy and space-age vibe running through the very seam of the song. Elsewhere the slow burn majesty of ‘Amsterdam’ is like a comedown, but an enjoyable one, before halfway through the song you take another hit, and you’re off again. ‘Really Great World’ sums up my mood when listening to this album, as it indeed seems that everything is bloody brilliant and nothing is wrong when you play this track, so soothing and cheerful it is. Closing track ‘Good Night’ is aptly named, and a perfect closer, acting as the lullaby to the party that has preceded it.
We’ll Be The Moon has been well worth the wait. Album of the year contender already. Amazing.
8/10
Stuart Manson
