New Music: Fern Murphy – latchkey

Shoegaze with serrated edges and a sharp message, latchkey showcases the individuality and energy of Fern Murphy.

If the Indianapolis-based outfit were aiming to create music that coats a hard heart with candyfloss colours, they succeed here. Sitting nicely alongside Spiritualised and the current era of Slowdive, the surface of latchkey is smooth and escapist from a distance, yet the guitars and percussion have a barely-concealed spikiness. It gives it a tactile quality that’s unusual and siren-like; you want to reach out and touch the song, despite any potential danger, and maybe you should. Life is about risk, and Fern Murphy are worth it.

latchkey can be heard on Bandcamp and Spotify, and will appear on via negative, the new album from Fern Murphy. For LP updates, follow the band on Facebook or Instagram.