Decay Is Present (2024) by Feverdreamt - Music Album Review

Decay Is Present is the third album released by Berlin based musician Alexander Donat under his Feverdremt moniker. This one-man project began nine years ago, with the original idea to fuse Arabian melodies with krautrock. For the third album, Donat is recreating the musical style again with the music using church organs in a musical style that has been described as 'baroque darkwave'. Recovering from my second dose of Covid, I listened to this album twice while writing my monthly news round-up, rather than during my weekly house tidying that is the typical accompaniment to musical listening.

The eight track album clocks in at forty seven minutes, with many of the tracks coming in between five and eight minutes. It starts with 'Decay Is Here', a four and a half minute chilled opener that has almost monastic singing over a church organ, a rustic feeling tune that was a laid back intro. This is complimented with 'The Count' which again evokes the same feelings with a more catchy sound. I thought that track three 'The Wallowing (Die Another Time)' was the stand-out track on the album, beginning similar to the first two, this changes up into a fantastic sounding second half that reminded me a lot of French band Air, with elements of Sea Power's quieter tracks (previously known as British Sea Power), not a bad thing at all. Finishing up the album's first half is the bittersweet and beautiful 'The Stream' full of wistful sorrow, a slow song done right.

'It Will Straighten Itself Out' is the longest track on the album at around eight and a half minutes, it wasn't bad, but it did feel its track length. From the longest album track to the shortest, 'The Pickup' is comparatively tiny at two and a half minutes long. More of an instrumental interlude than a track proper, this bridges the gap to penultimate track 'On the Other Side'. This one has a more sinister feel to it, with atmospheric baroque sounding strings evoking an unsettling atmosphere to the despondent singing of a lost love. Final track is 'When It's Too Late To Bail' and is the second longest track at just over eight minutes. I loved how this one started, a laid back chilled feel that meant the tune moved along like a slow dream, again giving a slight feel of Air.

A slower and softer album than some others under different monikers, Feverdremt's third album Decay Is Present was one that grew on me over my two listens. I like how the longer tracks really make the most of the extended time to create a layered ever moving feel that gives a chilled and relaxed, yet nostalgic sound.

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