Graham Davy reckon with ‘Fear’ on their new single

Made up of lead vocalist Patrick O’Keeffe (guitar and keys) and his fellow songwriter David Ruth (bass and backing vocals), Graham Davy is a brand-new band on the Irish music scene.

Their style draws on a variety of influences, from The Doors to David Bowie, but is made instantly recognizable by O’Keeffe’s distinctive vocals which croon meditatively over a bluesy, rock-infused bass on their latest single, ‘Fear’.

Founded in 2019, the band’s first two singles, ‘The Horror Show’ and ‘Solitude’, were both released in early 2021, but the sureness of their sound might well have you thinking that they’ve been around for longer than that.

‘Fear’ explores the relationship with fear as an in-vain bait-and-switch, at times verging into a dark introspection and at others offering a more tongue-in-cheek perspective of the chase taking place. The depiction of fear as an animal on the hunt allows for the duality of an unsettling atmosphere, with lines such as “it may get me, it may well pass, / it may catch me in the long grass,” alongside darkly witty asides to the listener, such as “I keep moving, try not to freeze, / but if you see it will you tell me please?”

The low tempo chords that usher in the track are reminiscent of the kind of alt-rock murkiness characteristic of bands like Cigarettes After Sex. As ‘Fear’ plays out and reaches its chorus, however, a more insistent beat kicks in, with a backing rhythm that has the feel of building heart palpitations. 

The combination of this alternating slow and sped-up bassline alongside O’Keeffe’s consistently grounding vocals make for a sonic as well as lyrical unpacking of the experience of fear.

 

The entirety of this song, especially the breakthrough of the chorus with its tension-relieving declaration of “I don’t fear fear…” feels as if it has been made to play to packed music venues. Building on Graham Davy’s first two releases, it is a really promising glimpse of what is still to come for the band. Here’s looking forward to their first live shows!

Eleanor Burleigh

@eleanoranneb

Image: Fear Official Single Cover (PRESS)