Aldous Harding’s “Fever” is piano rock distilled to its essentials

Aldous Harding announced her fourth studio album, Warm Chris, in January with its slippery lead single, "Lawn." Where that song shuffles sidelong in and out of focus, its new follow-up, "Fever," walks a straight line, the New Zealand singer-songwriter making direct eye contact with her listener (though the two tracks' respective press image tell the opposite story).

"Fever, when we met at hotel reception / 'Never, have I been so tired,' you said / You bet, guess we did what the other expected," she begins over a no-nonsense, four-chord piano progression and a stretchy bass line. It's a frank beginning to a brief romance that's over three lines later, though she'll reminisce on it for the rest of the four-minute track.

Harding co-directed the track's video, which finds her in close-up across a series of settings, staring straight through the camera as she sings. Watch it, and view her upcoming tour dates, below.

6/3 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
6/4 – Detroit, MI – El Club
6/5 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
6/6 – Montreal, QC – Rialto Theatre
6/8 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
6/9 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
6/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
6/11 – Washington, D.C. – Miracle Theatre
6/13 – Carboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
6/14 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
6/15 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
6/16 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
6/19 – New Orleans, LA – Republic
6/20 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
6/21 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
6/23 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
6/24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
6/25 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
6/27 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
6/28 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
6/29 – Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Gardens
7/2 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
7/2 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre
8/10–8/13 – Oslo, NO, ØYA
8/26 – Paris, FR – Rock en Seine 2022
8/28 – London, UK – All Points East 2022
9/1–9/4 – Larmer Tree Gardens UK – End Of The Road Festival
9/2 – Glasgow, UK – The City Halls