At first, I thought Fendahlene was a recently formed group, and that their album, Burnt Out, was a debut of sorts. Boy, was I wrong because these guys have been at it for a while now. A quick browse of their YouTube channel shows that Fendahlene has been making music together since 1997 or so. This power-duo from Sydney, Australia have been honing their alternative/indie-rock sound for years and that’s probably why their latest single “High and Low and Back Again” sounds so damn fresh and mature all at once.
There’s a really great upright piano during the opening of “High and Low and Back Again.” It’s got a ghostly sound associated with old pianos which haven’t been maintained all that well. That’s part of its charm, though. The lyrics here are self-reflective, by which the writer is looking back at years of experiences which have finally led him to a place of peace. The song is neither happy nor sad; it’s hopeful without being cheesy or over-the-top. Words like “it’s really not defeat for you to compromise if only you could see what’s on the other side maybe you would change your point of view change your mind,” belong to a voice of someone coming to grips with life’s twists and turns. It’s a person who’s realized that after all the searching, everything they need is right in front of them.
I have so much respect for groups, especially independent ones, which decide to keep trekking on for years without showing any signs of quitting. These guys have obviously formed a strong bond with each other over the years. Surely, when you’ve played for over twenty years as an indie band with the same members and still enjoy doing the same style together, that’s not just commitment..that’s authenticity.
