Fletcher

There’s a moment on the song “The Road I Take,” the opening track on the debut EP from Chicago trio Fletcher, that vocalist Oscar Baker has nearly gotten away with writing a delicate and belletristic piece of intimate balladry. But in the bat of an eyelash, the song bursts into a chorus that is equal parts memorable, melodic and nothing short of stunning. The title track is a more urgent and antic affair with an immediacy and accessibility that reaches through the speakers and grabs at your collarbone.

Calling to mind both The Kooks and The Strokes, “Open Arms,” has a buzzy and bright brilliance to it that firmly stamps Fletcher as one of Chicago’s burgeoning new talents. Though Baker’s vocals are far removed from Gordon Sumner, there is a slight Police-esque bounce to the buoyant “One By One,” that make the song a perfect tonic for a weekend spent basking in the sun. That sense of belletrism, delicacy and intimacy from the quiet moments of “The Road I Take” are revisited in the fractious “Cheesecake,” a song which seems to quiver and tremble with nervosa, hesitancy and indecision. Baker veers towards falsetto at times and the guitars quietly unravel a gauzy and vernal effort that is as beautiful as it is awe-inspiring.

Open Arms‘ penultimate cut is “More Than You Can Chew,” another direct and to-the-point cut of effervescence that takes awhile to get started, but once it does it is well worth the reward. The whole thing closes out with the meandering and melancholy “Look to the Clouds,” a thought-provoking valentine to rumination and clarity that has a scope and grandeur that seems to scream for bigger stages and greater exposure.

Being that two-third of Fletcher is indeed British (Baker is joined by his brother Harvey on bass), there’s a heavy dose of Brit-rock stylings all over the place and that’s a trait the band can wear with both pride and satisfaction. Whereas many Brit-rock outfits sound cookie-cutter, derivative and borderline copy-cat, Fletcher are unique, charismatic and quite lovely. Give this band some time and then just wait, they’ll be well worth it. Heck, they already are. But throngs of fans await them and if Open Arms is any indication, it might just happen sooner rather than later. - Made Of Chalk

On Fletcher‘s new track “More Than You Can Chew,” the young Chicago three-piece took inspiration from a house party that band members/brothers Oscar and Harvey Baker had at their house. “It is about people overestimating how much they can accomplish or should I say, get away with,” says drummer Tom Fry. While the band’s influences range from angular rock-acts like Arctic Monkeys and Portugal.The Man, this tune originated on acoustic first before it found it’s electric footing. “We have a firm grasp on the idea that nothing should be recorded that we can’t be replicated live,” Fry says. “The song was recorded live in the studio with no layering or punch’ins. It has a simple verse, chorus structure but it demonstrates the chemistry driven vibe that we want our fans to continuously rock out, too. - MTV Hive

Who says brothers can’t get along? The young Chicago trio, Fletcher, which consists of English siblings Oscar and Harvey Baker, in addition to friend Tom Fry, beg to differ. On course to release their debut EP, Open Arms, the ensemble are hoping to add their own touch to the British rock of days past.

The entrance to Open Arms is an energetic one, as “The Road I Take” elevates from a soft primer at the onset to a forceful conclusion as the track wears on. “The Road I Take” contains the themes of reflection and introspections of society, which are present throughout the rest of the disc as well.

Featuring the same title as the album, “Open Arms” utilizes the tambourine to add that little extra “oomph” in certain spots, and surprisingly manages to be even more upbeat than the record’s introductory track. The guitars provide some neat little background accompaniment as well, and as a whole maintain its status as a standout of the album. Concluding Open Arms is “Look To The Clouds,” a wistful and pensive track that provides a fitting end to Fletcher’s debut outing.

It’s pretty tough to nail down a possible influence for Fletcher; they’re just so distinctly different from everyone else out there. Perhaps there are some minute similarities with The Strokes and Kings Of Leon, but Fletcher truly are a musical group all their own. Each of Open Arms’ tracks is unique enough to ensure that the EP is an enjoyable listening experience; having said that, I do believe Fletcher have room to improve beyond what they’ve already accomplished. Of course, they are a very young group, so that is to be expected, just as I expect them to grow and develop in the future, and potentially become a world-class band. Fingers crossed. - Aquarian Weekly

If you dislike bass grooves, drum fills, and anything to do with electric guitar, you will hate Fletcher. Their second EP, Open Arms, is the result of a tight power trio, with Oscar Baker on vocals and guitar, brother Harvey Baker on bass, and Tom Fry on drums. Over six songs, Fletcher expands on conventions of Brit-rock with universally strong instrumentation and prominent melodies.

Opening with the exciting cacophony of “The Road I Take,” the EP begins loud and moves (slightly) softer from there, not that there’s ever a boring moment. Nothing sounds more welcome than the bass groove of “Open Arms,” topped with tambourine and Oscar Baker’s reverb-heavy guitar chops and Julian Casablancas-like timbre. Unlike The Strokes, however, Fletcher never feels detached. The band is engaged and always coordinated, through the upbeat and charming “More Than You Can Chew” (showcasing Oscar Baker’s sweet falsetto) as much as the refreshingly dissonant “Cheesecake.”

Fitting, then, that closer “Look To The Clouds” does exactly that: it’s the one song where the trio really attempts to expand their sound into a more encompassing, overwhelming landscape with swirling, dreamy synths. And, just like every other song on this EP, they succeed. - The Owl Magazine

The third installment of this year's "Discover the Undiscovered" series is here, featuring the contagious alt-rock Chicago trio, Fletcher, who has a self-described sound of "new-age British Rock with quirky melodies and brain-tingling music."

The band—comprised of English brothers, Oscar (vocals/guitar) and Harvey (bass) Baker, and Chicago-born drummer, Tom Fry—are gearing up for the release of sophomore EP, Open Arms, available April 9. Get to know the trio below, via our quick chat and the promising EP's feel-good, dancy title track. - Filter Magazine

The third installment of this year's "Discover the Undiscovered" series is here, featuring the contagious alt-rock Chicago trio, Fletcher, who has a self-described sound of "new-age British Rock with quirky melodies and brain-tingling music."

The band—comprised of English brothers, Oscar (vocals/guitar) and Harvey (bass) Baker, and Chicago-born drummer, Tom Fry—are gearing up for the release of sophomore EP, Open Arms, available April 9. Get to know the trio below, via our quick chat and the promising EP's feel-good, dancy title track. - Filter Magazine

Sure, comparisons to The Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and early Kings of Leon are bound to bubble up when immersed in “Open Arms”, the latest single from newbies Fletcher, but as hard as it may be to overlook those influences, it’s just as difficult denying how much the London/ Chicago three-piece (brothers Oscar and Harvey Baker and Tom Fry) aim straight for and successfully pierce the body’s indie rock pleasure center zones with this one.

Working a jangly effervescence through its bobbing bass line and guitars that flash and wriggle with hints of Afro-pop, and led by a howling vocal that begs to be sung along to, “Open Arms” is four minutes and forty eight seconds of summery guitar rock perfection. - Mixtape Maestro

Sure, comparisons to The Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and early Kings of Leon are bound to bubble up when immersed in “Open Arms”, the latest single from newbies Fletcher, but as hard as it may be to overlook those influences, it’s just as difficult denying how much the London/ Chicago three-piece (brothers Oscar and Harvey Baker and Tom Fry) aim straight for and successfully pierce the body’s indie rock pleasure center zones with this one.

Working a jangly effervescence through its bobbing bass line and guitars that flash and wriggle with hints of Afro-pop, and led by a howling vocal that begs to be sung along to, “Open Arms” is four minutes and forty eight seconds of summery guitar rock perfection. - Mixtape Maestro

"Their release details have a hard time comparing them to other acts, as their sound is so different. They’ve heard names such as The Flaming Lips, Arctic Monkeys, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, The Strokes – but nobody can quite figure their influence. They like it that way evidently. Oscar Baker might not be the rock star that Johnny Borrell is but his vocals are easily on par. There is a coy appeal to their sound and delivery and you can def hear the resemblences to The Arctic Monkeys and Razorlight. I’ll stop here with the references and let you hear for yourself. I’m in queue for the this April 9th self release date and hope to review the entire record then. - Pittsburgh Music Magazine

"Their release details have a hard time comparing them to other acts, as their sound is so different. They’ve heard names such as The Flaming Lips, Arctic Monkeys, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, The Strokes – but nobody can quite figure their influence. They like it that way evidently. Oscar Baker might not be the rock star that Johnny Borrell is but his vocals are easily on par. There is a coy appeal to their sound and delivery and you can def hear the resemblences to The Arctic Monkeys and Razorlight. I’ll stop here with the references and let you hear for yourself. I’m in queue for the this April 9th self release date and hope to review the entire record then. - Pittsburgh Music Magazine

"Rock trio Fletcher was born from the basement experiments of English brothers Oscar and Harvey Baker and their stateside friend Tom Fry. Cobbling together their own distinct homage to British bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones, Fletcher has also drawn comparisons to contemporary bands like The Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes, though without all the unnecessary pretense. Their upcoming EP Open Arms is set to hit on April 9th and will be available directly through the band, as they are releasing it themselves. Our first taste of the record comes in the form of title track “Open Arms,” a particularly melodic bit of 70's-influenced UK rock that might have found a good home on a latter era Who or Stones record. The song’s extraordinarily tight construction and propulsive rhythm section is all the more impressive given that the band was only formed in early 2012." - Joshua Pickard, Beats Per Minute

"I like what these guys do very much. It's a casual approach, but it doesn't sacrifice the impassioned vocal performance. The songs are solid and there are plenty of things I could have played on tonight's show, but this is the one that stands out for me, for a number of reasons. So let's hear it. It's called One By One, by Fletcher" - Richard Milne

"I like what these guys do very much. It's a casual approach, but it doesn't sacrifice the impassioned vocal performance. The songs are solid and there are plenty of things I could have played on tonight's show, but this is the one that stands out for me, for a number of reasons. So let's hear it. It's called One By One, by Fletcher" - Richard Milne

The three-piece indie rock trio Fletcher are not just our current Band of the Month, but they are also the headlining band at Beat Kitchen tomorrow night, Nov. 8th. The band just released their debut self-titled EP and have a richer history than you might expect. The trio consists of brothers Oscar and Harvey Baker and Tom Fry. The brothers are originally from London and you hear the British rock influences in their sound. It is a somewhat unique approach for a Chicago-based band.

You can stream the band's ep on their soundcloud page, and don't forget to check them out at Beat Kitchen on Nov. 8th with Huntsmen, Vaudevileins, and Bryn Rich. - Deli Chicago Magazine