Following the release of her debut EP Nothing Compares To Nineteen earlier this year, Fiona-Lee has returned with her new single ‘Victim’. “Born out a messy friendship breakup”, ‘Victim’ acts as a departure from the rock-leaning sound of her previous work, yet Fiona-Lee’s power and angst remain palpable.
Built from layers of delicately picked acoustic guitars, Thom Lewis’s production establishes an ethereal yet haunting tone for the piece, heightened by an evanescent drone that fades in and out. It feels reminiscent of work by Adrienne Lenker, or perhaps even Phoebe Bridgers, with its quiet and melancholic folk tinge.
Sitting comfortably in the mix are Fiona-Lee’s subtly beautiful vocals. She manages to drift into falsetto with ease whilst singing “Twenty-two / Freedom came so sweet / But you still haunted me / They started choosing teams”. Her airy voice ties perfectly with the loose rhythm of the melody, resulting in a conversational feel that is almost confessional.
The track swirls into a dizzying crescendo featuring a distorted and reverbed harmonica solo, before ending with the repeated refrain (“My insecurity’s a fact”) that becomes a soft whisper.
‘Victim’ comes with the announcement of her first headline show at Orpoto in Leeds, on the 19th of November. And having already supported CMAT, it’s clear Fiona-Lee has a great future ahead of her.
Words by Ben Oxley
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.