Beardfish
Destined Solitaire
Rating
Style: Retro Prog Rock
Release date: July 27th 2009
 

I've really had serious difficulties with the review of this album! I normally really like progressive rock, and I don't mind it sounds like something that was made in the seventies. Bands like Gentle Giant, earlier Yes and sometimes Frank Zappa comes to my mind listening to this band - all stuff I like, so why can't I get through this album without the feeling that this somehow just doesn't work for me? I have given this one several spins, thinking that it might be one of those albums, that has to grown on you, and the Swedes stands for me in general to make some good and very professional music, but I still feel lost somehow...

It's a lot of going back and forth through themes and moods, but the close to 77 minutes gets very long for me, they don't really seem to go anywhere, but just circling around something I can't find out what is - to me they don't "get to the point" and take off, so to speak. Maybe they should have cut down the length of the album and the individual numbers (six of them around 10 minutes or more), and concentrated more on writing some more catchy riffs and melodies - none of those who are on this album catches me while listening, and doesn't stick afterwards either. They sometimes start playing something, that sounds like it could develop into something interesting, but then they break it up with some slow and introspective noting, speak or odd rhythms, dragging it all down again.

Everybody is obviously very good at handling their instruments, but maybe they should take a little break, and do something in a quite different style, not to just playing the same patterns they know by heart? And for my sake, they could cut down a bit on the Hammond too; it's a bit too much all over the place for my taste.

They have a great sense of humour, depicted in their lyrics; I like that - a good quality in rock these days.

The production is very clean and sounds retro at the same time, nothing to put a finger on there.

But all in all - the music counts the most for me, and I'm sorry to say this, but this was a disappointment for me - the German word "langweilig" (dragging boring) seems to be the best for describing my impression of this album, and the feeling I have when the the music stops is... well, nothing really.

Nice cover though.


Tracklist

01.

Awaken the Sleeping

02.

Destined Solitaire

03.

Until You Comply (Including Entropy)

04.

In Real Life There Is No Algebra

05.

Where the Rain Comes In

06.

At Home... Watching Movies

07.

Coup de Grāce

08.

Abigail's Questions (In an Infinite Universe)

09.

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

Label: InsideOut Music
Distribution: EMI (Denmark)
Artwork rating: 85/100
Reviewed by: Claus Melsen
Date: April 18th 2010
Website: Beardfish @ MySpace