There is nothing particularly ordinary about the way Fountain make a racket. The Northampton duo return with ‘It’s Ordinary’, a compact burst of garage rock that relies on the simplest ingredients of the format and makes them hit considerably harder than expected.
Built around guitarist and vocalist Jordan Noon’s abrasive guitar work and Alistair Wilkinson’s relentless drumming, the track has the physical immediacy of a band that understands the value of keeping things moving. There is very little wasted motion. The guitars arrive with a satisfying crunch, the drums refuse to sit still, and Noon’s vocal delivery gives the song its rough-edged personality.
What makes Fountain interesting, however, is their ability to make rawness feel deliberate rather than merely chaotic. ‘It’s Ordinary’ has the scrappy energy expected from a garage-rock duo, but underneath the distortion is a strong instinct for melody. The track doesn’t sacrifice a memorable hook in the pursuit of volume, nor does its accessibility smooth away the rougher edges.
That balance has become increasingly important in a genre where the line between authenticity and formula can be surprisingly thin. Fountain avoid sounding as though they are simply recreating a particular era of garage rock. Instead, there is a sense of two musicians using the format as a framework for their chemistry. Wilkinson’s drumming supplies the propulsion, while Noon moves between guitar attack and melodic phrasing with enough unpredictability to keep the track from settling into a predictable groove.
Their influences also hint at a broader palette. The OSEES’ psychedelic garage intensity and Queens of the Stone Age’s muscular riffing are natural reference points, while The Black Keys’ blues-inflected directness can be felt in the emphasis on groove and immediacy. Yet Fountain’s interest in cinematic figures such as Ennio Morricone and Duane Eddy suggests there is more ambition lurking beneath the distortion.
That wider sense of atmosphere is perhaps what gives ‘It’s Ordinary’ its character. The song is lean and direct, but it doesn’t feel small. There is a suggestion that Fountain see garage rock not as an endpoint, but as a foundation from which they can build something bigger.
Produced by Lee Russell, the track retains the rough physicality that presumably makes Fountain so effective onstage. It sounds like music designed to be played loudly and experienced collectively, with every drum hit and guitar crunch pushing the song forward.
‘It’s Ordinary’ is therefore a fitting introduction to Fountain’s next run of releases. The title might suggest understatement, but the music tells a different story. This is a duo making familiar ingredients feel immediate again, proving that garage rock doesn’t need unnecessary complications when the chemistry, riffs and momentum are already doing the heavy lifting.
