Phèdre, Phèdre (Daps)

In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the lovesick queen whose spurned advances toward the virginal Hippolytus lead to his death. This demented love fool, a trope immortalized in modern-day fables such as Obsessed, is the inspiration for Phèdre, a band made up of Doldrums’ Airick Woodhead and Hooded Fang’s April Aliermo and Daniel Lee.

About a month ago, the Toronto-based musicians put out a NSFW music video for “In Decay.” Greased up and writhing around with some friends in a honey-like substance and feasting on fly-covered hamburgers and lobsters, it was a vivid glimpse at the band’s concept and a good tone-setter for Phèdre‘s bubbly doom psalms. Given the lubricious persuasions of the band’s namesake, it only makes sense for Phèdre to subvert the bland cheer of Valentine’s Day by dropping a self-titled debut of macabre pop songs.

The other key reference here is the 1967 Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra tune “Some Velvet Morning.” Despite the country leanings of both artists, “Some Velvet Morning” stood out at the time for its psychedelic drone, abstract Phaedra-referencing narrative and dueling metres, not to mention Hazlewood’s distinctive baritone peal. Though “In Decay” is decidedly more pop than a late ’60s conceptual ballad, you can hear the aesthetic starting point for Phèdre specifically via distinct vocal lines where a bacchanalian girl-child competes with a brooding male.

Phèdre is a fantastically weird listen, kind of Pan’s Labyrinthine. Atonality and stoned rapping colour the chiming pop of “Cold Sunday” with streaks of menace and an entire inventory of laser-synth effects blanket the lonesome “Dreams.” Aside from “In Decay,” one of my favourite songs is “Aphrodite,” which doesn’t just uphold the mythological motif but manages to exude funk through layers and layers of competing effects. Phèdre assiduously warp every loop, every vocal, every drum, manipulating sunny contemporary pop into something vintage and strange. It’s like what a grown-up, west end Wednesday Addams would listen to.

Phèdre makes its debut at Daps Revue Vol. 1 featuring Hooded Fang, Doldrums, Moon King and L Con at The Great Hall, Friday, February 24.

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Anupa Mistry writes about music for Toronto Standard. You can follow her on Twitter at @_anupa. 

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