‘Zirconium Meconium’
Fever the Ghost (Complicated Game)
3.5 stars out of 5
The music of psych-pop newcomers Fever the Ghost is very much an acquired taste. So much so that after a couple spins of their “Zirconium Meconium” full-length debut, I was all but certain that this four-piece outfit was not for me. But a funny thing happened on my third trip through the trippy platter: I found myself getting hooked on the Los Angeles-based band’s infectious weirdness.
Fever the Ghost, who first popped up on my radar last year with their contribution to The Flaming Lips-spearheaded Beatles tribute record “With a Little Help From My Fwends,” describes the new record as a “collection of songs musically interpreting the third dimensional process from the perspective of vital force energy incarnating into physical world.” I have no idea what that means, but frontman Casper Indrizzo and his mates do a surprisingly effective job of making their quirkiness accessible.
The 12-track, 43-minute “Zirconium Meconium” gets off to a bizarre start with “Metempsychosis” and “Rounder II,” and the band hits their stride with “Hinterland,” “Surf’s Up! … Nevermind,” “1518,” “Sun Moth” and “Vervain (Dreams of an Old Wooden Cage).” Fever the Ghost won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but more adventurous listeners should seek them out. (Jeffrey Sisk)
