So Feww - Get Inside/ I'm Not Automatic

  

More self-released North West New Wave

Label: All For One

Year of Release: 1982

Almost exactly a year ago now we covered the mysterious North West England combo So Feww on this blog, and drew very few conclusions about their identities from their disc "Spirits High". I've often had cause to ponder the fact that the people who did vanity pressings in the seventies and eighties would have been brilliant on the Internet in the 21st Century - having multiple social media accounts, a well-organised Soundcloud site and a slick website. Getting your shit together to do this kind of thing in 1982 was so much harder than it is now and only the truly organised and savvy did it well.

But... we are where we are, and still all I actually know about the group is that the enigmatic Nick Rome was the driving force. While this was technically their third single, it's actually a re-release of their first effort on Pennine Records with the sides flipped. This time round, the subtler "Get Inside" is the main attraction over the more anthemic "I'm Not Automatic", which is an interesting way of doing things.

Sound-wise the group set out their stall in exactly the same way. This is melodic and slightly pub-rock tinted New Wave which shows an interesting range of ideas despite its lo-fi production. They clearly had a following and money to burn on their own record pressings, but neither this nor "Spirits High" pushed them into the so-called big time. 

As ever, if you know more than the sketchy outline information provided above, please get in touch.

So Feww - Spirits High/ Rainmaker and his Son

Self-released New Wave from the North West

Label: All For One

Year of Release: 1982

The oddly named So Feww - I'm sure there's a reason for the extra 'w' but it's not clear to me what it is - were clearly desperate for everyone's attention in the early eighties but have since evaporated from sight. While they threw a lot of their own personal money into putting out two vanity discs via the Oldham custom recording service Pennine Records in 1981 and 1982 it's bloody difficult to trace who was in the band and what became of them.

All that's left behind are these two cheeky, chirpy, jittery New Wave singles nodding and winking at us through our stereograms, this and the debut "I'm Not Automatic". Both are seemingly taking their cues from the likes of Squeeze and XTC, mixing accomplished pop melodies with edgier New Wave sounds.

On this 45, "Spirits High" takes the prize for its faintly moody jangle, the track seemingly willing itself and the listener out of their despondency. It's entirely in keeping with the North West indie doing the rounds at the time and wouldn't necessarily have been out of place on Zoo Records. If it's guilty of anything, it's probably ending too soon and without having completely tied up the melodic loose ends  - the song is crying out for a more dramatic finish than the sudden abrupt halt we're offered.