This past June, the eccentrically dressed band FIZZ released their debut single “High In Brighton,” promising thrilling harmonies, addictive drums, charming clarinet solos and sweet escapism just in time for the summer. In a departure from their respective individual styles, musicians Dorothy Clark (dodie), Orla Gartland, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown combined to create the funky new group. With the release of their debut album “The Secret To Life” on Oct. 27, I can promise that this is not your regular indie-pop band.
The album begins with a minute-long spoken introduction titled “A New Phase Awaits You :-)”, calling out the listener for looking exhausted. It laughably urges the listener to “open your mind” (“and your wallet”) as the loud, high-energy title track hits you in the face, telling you to “embrace the secret to life.” The song is confident and boastful before “High In Brighton” reminds us that life is boring without an escape from the dullness of reality. This sweetly and smoothly transitions into “Strawberry Jam,” a quieter track about not wanting to be lonely, enjoying life’s simplicities and embracing one’s inner boringness. All the while, the quartet’s voices weave together perfectly with their unique instrumentation, from organs to a variety of woodwinds and percussion instruments.
From here, the album pivots and allows the individual artists to display their voices. “Close One” and “I Just Died,” led by Gartland and dodie respectively, are odes to romance. Riddled with tension, Gartland muses about dodged bullets and lovers reuniting at different points in their lives. Released as a single in July, “Close One” was a fantastic track to vibe to on those cool summer evenings. “I Just Died” is based on a past experience of dodie’s in which she excitedly bought a plane ticket to see her partner, and he told her not to come. Although it is a completely mortifying story, you cannot help but sing along and jam to the addicting beat (and dodie’s epic clarinet solo).
On a completely different note, FIZZ continues with two songs fronted by Brown: “Rocket League” and “Hell Of A Ride.” Both songs showcase opposing sides of Brown’s stunning voice—“Rocket League” is a short, silly, yet relatable track with a peppy piano about happily playing the titular video game with friends, bringing the audience back into the album’s commentary on the everyday. On the other hand, “Hell Of A Ride” is a guttural, bass-heavy song about life passing you by and wondering what could have been, representing a total tonal shift from the start of the album. Towards the end of the piece, Gartland’s voice shines through, pointing out the joy friends offer in an otherwise lonely and seemingly meaningless existence.
The soft end of “Hell Of A Ride” is the perfect kick-off for the next three songs. Scream along with Isaac in “As Good As It Gets,” a piece that begins hushed and later explodes with thunderous drums and electric guitars as Isaac shouts about the things women put up with, including sexualization, objectification and misogyny. Meanwhile, in the following acoustic guitar track titled “You, Me, Lonely,” dodie tugs on your heart strings with heartbreaking lyrics (as she has always done) about a relationship you know is about to end. Similarly, “Lights Out” is a chilling tune with minimal instrumentation, filled to the brim with spine-tingling vocalizations and signature FIZZ harmonies as Isaac and Brown croon about those gut-wrenching moments late at night while trying to sleep, thinking about someone you love.
And just when you have had your heart broken by FIZZ, they sew it back together again in “The Grand Finale.” Fittingly, the song goes all over the radar in typical FIZZ fashion. Gartland opens with “A door opens, another closes/ The curtain falls, the credits roll/ We’re taking down the decorations/ But I don’t really wanna go,” calling the audience to come in and enjoy the party. From there, dodie introduces the beat of the song as she adds dreamy images of the future. After this, Isaac and Brown alike join in and take the finale in a plethora of fun musical directions. The album concludes with Brown admitting “I’m really gonna fuckin’ miss you” before the group comes together one last time for a powerful, unforgettable end.
“The Secret To Life” is a journey, and it is incredibly evident that the four members had a blast creating it. Although they are all traditionally solo artists, they work effortlessly together, producing a wholly unique take on indie-pop. As a first-year still struggling with my recent coming into adulthood, this album comforts me in a fun way while discussing the nuances of existence. Go ahead and give it a listen—I can guarantee that you, too, will discover “The Secret To Life” FIZZ raves so much about.