Feef Mooney: “Special Friend One” (2024) CD Review

Feef Mooney, also known as Fjaere Nilssen (and also sometimes as Feef M or just as Feef or Fjaere), is a singer and songwriter from Scotland now based in Los Angeles. In 2022, she released Cleo September (under the name Fjaere), an album that contains a nice rendition of “Those Were The Days” along with good original material. The album was co-produced by Fernando Perdomo, as was Feef Mooney’s follow up, 2023’s Cleo Redux, which contains mostly the same songs (though not the cover of “Those Were The Days”) and which she released under the name Feef. That album features Chris Price joining her on vocals and keys for a track. And now her release, an EP titled Special Friend One, features the work of both Fernando Perdomo and Chris Price. That is some impressive talent backing her, certainly reason enough to pay attention to this artist. All songs on this disc are originals, written by Fjaere Nilssen. She provides the lead vocals and plays guitar. Chris Price is on keys, percussion and backing vocals; Fernando Perdomo is on bass and percussion. There are also special guests on a few tracks.

The EP opens with “I Don’t Want To Fit In,” a cool, fun track that includes hand claps and that provides the album with its title in its opening lines, “Well, I don’t want to fit in/I don’t want to fit in/I don’t want to fit in/I only want to be your, only want to be your, only want to be your friend, your special friend.” This track contains some good stuff on keys. Also, this track features Rob Weiss joining her on trumpet, adding to the song’s bright vibe. It’s a delightful start to the disc. It is followed by “Georgie,” which has a sweeter sound, particularly in the work on acoustic guitar. This track also has a cheerful vibe, especially because of her vocal approach, her voice having a friendly and spirited quality. “And thinking about you, my heart’s stands still/So just say the word, and Georgie I will.” In the second half, the backing vocals echo “stands still” and “say the word.” The cheerful vibes continue with “The Kerouac Way.” Matt Lomeo joins her on harmonica on this one. He is a talented player. You might have heard his work on the new Ted Russell Kamp album, California Son. I also recently saw him play with Kelly’s Lot. I love Feef Mooney’s light, playful attitude and approach here. There is a joy in her delivery. There are nice sections where her voice and the harmonica interact. “So excuse me while I fall/But I heard an angel call/And I’m trying not to stare/But I know it’s you that’s there/By the light of a shining sun/I know we’ve just begun/His light is in your eyes.” This track also features some whistling at the end.

“Blind Date” has such a cool vibe from its first moments, with its delicious groove, and that great stuff on keys and guitar. Also, I love the first line: “We’ve never met, so there’s nothing to forget.” That is one of those lines you can take a lot from, and put a lot into. You know?  Fernando Perdomo plays electric guitar on this track. This song conveys the excitement of having a blind date. “I hope you have a sense of humor/I hope I fall in love with your smile.” That’s followed by “Try.” This song has something of a laid-back vibe as it begins. And the opening lines are intriguing: “I tried to come to you in a dream/But you were not the same/You had changed the color of your hair/You had changed your name.” Soon the track develops a good groove, with a bit of a jazzy vibe. There are hand claps at certain moments too. This is one of my personal favorites. The EP concludes with “Grey Glider,” which features the violin work of the great Kaitlin Wolfberg, who played on Falling Off The Sky, the 2012 release from The dB’s, on Chris Price’s 2017 album Stop Talking, on Fernando Perdomo’s 2018 album Zebra Crossing, and on Rob Waller’s 2023 album See The Big Man Cry, among many others. “I don’t want to give it all away/I don’t want to feel sad today.”

CD Track List

1. I Don’t Want To Fit In
2. Georgie
3. The Kerouac Way
4. Blind Date
5. Try
6. Grey Glider

Special Friend One is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2024.