New Music: Bill Fever – Raw Deals

October sees the release of Bill Fever’s debut album, Luxury Salad, and new single Raw Deals is a thrilling introduction to his hybrid rock sound.

Fever’s voice has a tonal and emotional resonance to that of Matt Bellamy, and especially around the chorus, I get hints of Muse at their most low-key and personal.

But the track looks more to the current wave of Irish post-punk too, with fiercely political lyrics wedded to searing guitars and propulsive drumming, as Raw Deals drives its message home with an honest passion.

States Fever, “Raw Deals is about protest, speaking out, standing up for what you believe in and taking action. The lyrics were written back in 2023, at a time when UK protest laws were being brought in, cracking down on freedom of speech.”

“[It] references unfairly vilified healthcare workers who were striking in 2023, being demonised by the right-wing press and politicians: ‘The devils demonise those who saved our lives.’”

The Kettering-based artist plays a hometown gig on the 12th of September. Raw Deals can be downloaded on Bandcamp, while Luxury Salad is out on the 10th of October – head to Instagram for more details.