Say what you will about Fiona Melady, but only a fool would deny that she has put in the groundwork for her debut album. As far back as 2000, she was contributing keyboards and vocals to her brother Ian’s band, Turn; she’s toured with and guested on releases by Irish folk-rock deities Paddy Casey and Declan O’Rourke; heck, she’s even gone semi-commercial and been the singing voice behind last year’s Bulmer’s Christmas ad.
Going on her past credentials, then, it’d seem like Melady would slot nicely into the ‘kooky outsider’ group of female singer-songwriters like Miriam Ingram, Nina Hynes and Julie Feeney. In reality, though, she’s far too mainstream-sounding for such a niche. The Fear I Fear is awash with songs that could easily make Melady Ireland’s next big daytime radio star: from Sophie Ellis-Bextor-esque electro of ‘Love in the Movies’ to the chugging, Natalie Imbruglia-style guitar pop of ‘Rush’, and the string-weighted title track, these are chart hits in the making.
In an effort to mix up the formula, perhaps, there’s also an excess of wistful piano/string ballads – yet unfortunately, they’re lacking in added bite or sass, and it’s only ‘How Far’, a sultry, slinky toe-tapper, that inveigles you in, to deeper listening. If Melady (whose voice and playing style are just fine) can find a bit of extra spark, she may yet establish herself in the frontline. Until then, the only thing to fear is The Fear I Fear itself.