Subjangle
Fantasy is the newest release by Echobirds, a family band based in the countryside of Wiltshire, UK, formed by Alexa Mackenzie and Mark Kenchington, and later joined by their 14-year-old son Charlie on drums. The record is a collection of 12 songs, all recorded at home, lo-fi and intimate in the most genuine way.
After reading their story, I found myself incredibly curious to hear what this trio would sound like, and the album didn’t disappoint for a second. Fantasy merges the warmth and haze of dreampop with the shadowy pulse of post-punk, a blend that feels natural once you remember Alexa and Mark were already shaping their own corner of the Britpop scene in the 90s with their band Fancy. Here, they revisit those roots but filter them through a softer, more atmospheric lens, as if years of life, distance, and rediscovery have carved new spaces in their sound.
The lo-fi quality works beautifully in their favor. The guitars shimmer like low sunlight through fogged windows, bathed in chorus and reverb, while the basslines move with that unmistakable post-punk drive, steady, melodic, and slightly melancholic. Charlie’s drumming adds a surprisingly steady backbone, grounding the songs with a youthful confidence that contrasts charmingly with the record’s dreamy, faded edges. Vocals drift in like half-remembered memories, soft and airy but carrying a quiet emotional weight that grows with each listen.
The lyrics feel like someone trying to hold their own heart together in the dark, whispering confessions they’re too scared to say out loud. They drift between longing and regret, always reaching for something just out of view, an old memory, a person who’s gone, a version of themselves they can’t get back to. There’s this softness in the words, but it’s the kind that comes right after crying, when everything feels raw and clear. Even when the lines are abstract, you can feel the weight behind them, like each phrase is a small attempt at healing, or at least at understanding the ache that refuses to leave.
It’s the kind of album that sneaks up on you, filling the room slowly, until suddenly you realize it’s been echoing in your head long after it ends. If you’re into artists who sit somewhere between hazy dreampop and moody post-punk, think early Beabadoobee, Cocteau Twins shadows, or even a softer, homespun take on The Cure, Fantasy is one of those records you’ll want to sink into.
In the end, Fantasy feels less like an album and more like a small world the band lets you step into, one I know I’ll be returning to again and again.
Review by Start-track.com
