Review: UK band The Fades’ single ‘Small Again’

By Mike Alahverdian, Rock At Night New England

Review: UK band the Fades’ single “Small Again”

Every decade, music changes a bit, but with some spillover. If you think back, 50’s music carried over into the 60s, into the 70s, and so on. Bands like The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Santana, and The Beach Boys continued playing through the decades. Most of these bands played through the years, and some still play today (albeit with some lineup changes). Great music will always stay in style.

Unfortunately, bands such as the Ramones, the Clash, and Sex Pistols are no longer around. But they influenced a new generation of punk rock bands, such as Blink-182, Idlewild, and The Fades.

Formed in London, England, over 20 years ago, the Fades consist of brothers Dave (vox, guitar) and James Lightfoot (bass), Jonny Barnard (guitar) and Alastair “Flash” Thorpe (drums). Their new single, Small Again, accomplishes two things. First, they keep alive the great sounds of punk past; second, they help us remember our lives when we were younger as we think about what we had but never really appreciated. At first, you may feel this is just another indie song with a catchy beat. But listen carefully to the lyrics. There is a message that Dave is trying to convey to all of us. As he sings that he wants to live his life again, be small again, and be young again, it’s certainly easy enough to understand what he is singing about. And if you still don’t get it (and even if you do), watch their excellent video for this song on YouTube.

Sometimes, songwriters can get too deep, making it hard for the average listener to comprehend the song. But the lyrics in “Small Again” are relatively simple and easy to understand, and, along with some excellent musicianship, this song will quickly become one of your favorites.

There is something extraordinary in keeping a genre alive, and The Fades are doing a fantastic job of maintaining the punk/indie scene.

Check out Rock At Night’s interview with David Lightfoot of the Fades HERE