Probably unfairly to the other two members of the band, I had always framed Fear Of Men as Jessica Weiss’ project so when she began releasing solo music as New German Cinema a few years ago, I wasn’t sure what the differentiation was. The production was a more synthetic as befits someone writing on a laptop rather than in a rehearsal space, but Weiss’ distant yearning vocals remained consistent between the two projects. She released a couple singles in 2022 and 2023, but mainly seemed focused on her academic career.

Fear Of Men was revived for a single show supporting The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart in their hometown of Brighton last November, but presently seems to have been a one-off – Weiss is returning to NGC for her next release, with her debut album Pain Will Polish Me coming out on March 27.

The first single is a duet with Carson Cox of Merchandise and follows the established template of austere, post-punk-approved drum machine beat and emotive vocals with sweeping choruses. Of the album, Weiss says:

This album is somehow both exciting and painful to share. I hope some people enjoy it. It’s a meditation on pop and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, about the parts of yourself that dissolve in love, and the small acts of violence that come with being known.

Jessica Weiss, New German Cinema
@fearofmen

So yes, I patiently await more activity from Fear Of Men but for now, New German Cinema will do quite nicely.