Fred Abong’s current album ‘Blindness’ is a bleak affair, but it’s the kind of record that fans of semi lo-fi material will eventually love. Despite being full of low key arrangements, the record’s best songs come with a surprising amount of texture, and a few plays uncovers a variety of dark soundscape that show off Abong’s DIY sound with a genuine strength.
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FRED ABONG – Blindness
Released just seven months after ‘Fear Pageant’, most of Fred Abong’s 2024 album ‘Blindness’ feels as different from its predecessor as ‘Fear Pageant’ had sometimes felt from the slightly slicker ‘Yellowthroat’. On a basic level, it’s great to hear the artist continually evolving, but that becomes more impressive once you consider the relatively lo-fi soundscapes that Abong often favours. A good chunk of this album doesn’t just represent a step forward, but a massive leap sideways into a world of the unexpected.
Watch: Fred Abong shares ‘Heaven’ ahead of new album
At the time of this single’s release, it really doesn’t feel that long since Fred Abong released his ‘Fear Pageant’ album. That makes sense, as it’s only been eight months since the world last heard new music from the former Throwing Muses and Belly man.
Ahead of a new album (‘Blindness’, scheduled for release on May 9th), Fred has shared a new track, ‘Heaven’, and the full video can be seen below.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #17
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore the various individual mp3s that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This has become a popular feature for the site, and its disregard for genre restraints has ensured that a variety has kept it interesting. This week, we bring you a new track that unites a cult rock hero with a busy power pop figure; some great pop from a Scottish singer songwriter, and some massive metal sounds from Greece. As always, if you discover anything new you’ve enjoyed, come and tell us – we always value your feedback. Submissions for the Singles Bar are coming in by the dozen, but if you have something you think might work for us, don’t be afraid to get in touch.
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FRED ABONG – Fear Pageant
Although he’ll be best known to most people as an ex-member of Throwing Muses and Belly, singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Fred Abong has carved out a solo career exploring some interesting lo-fi sounds. On the ‘Homeless’ and ‘Pulsing’ EPs, he introduced audiences to his minimal approach to arrangement, and with just voice and electric guitar, the best material contrasted angular noises and introspective lyrics on tunes that sometimes felt like audio sketches. Although strong on record, these tunes really sprung to life in the live setting, but every artist needs to move forward, and by the time of 2022’s ‘Yellowthroat’, his recordings had expanded to include mellotron, piano extra vocals and felt altogether warmer without losing focus of his lo-fi signature sound.