Beardfish – Songs For Beating Hearts.
Reviewed by Denis Bridger.
Review Score: 8.5
Where have I been? What did I miss? Well…. It seems that I missed Beardfish. A band that has not been on my radar before but certainly is now. This could be because they have not been together for the last 9 years or my internet was broke, Who knows? But they are back with a killer album that will take you on a mesmerising journey through time, space and probably some kind of continuum.
So, who are these Beardfish guys? They hail from the mighty and beautiful Sweden. They were formed in Gävle, Sweden in 2002, and have their influences deep within the world of Prog Rock, but a couple of limbs seems to be in all kinds of other strange and beautiful themes and styles. If you are a fan of the greats like Yes, Early Genesis, a bit of Jethro Tull, maybe a little Marillion and even a smidgeon of The Mighty Zep. Then this’ll be right up your street.
With very well reviewed albums such as Destined Solitaire (2007) and + 4727- COMFORTZONE (2015), which have been described as “ a vibrant. Kaleidoscope of musical vocabulary “ Beardfish had become a major force in the modern Prog scene and then bang, 2016, they split! But as any musician will likely tell you, being away from music for too long, is hard and once the band had got back together, the creative juices, started flowing quickly and fun was being had and before you know it… a double album was all but done. Apparently a couple of songs were left out for the next mission due to the length of material you can fit on vinyl and also the guys had had enough of double albums. I can think of many fine double albums though.
First off is Ecotone, which immediately from the off, has a classic prog vibe with acoustic guitar and vocals that initially remind me of Mr. Ian Anderson. First off is Ecotone, which immediately from the off, has a classic prog vibe with acoustic guitar and vocals that initially remind me of Mr. Ian Anderson. The vibe is very relaxed with lovely female backing vocals and I’m trying to think what this track reminds me of, but can’t, but the feeling is very familiar and warm and seems to be an opener to a journey that is going to take us into a mystical dreamlike prog heaven, but this track is only a little bit prog, so there is surely more to come….
… And come it does with Out in the Open. A 20 min, 5 part opus to love. It was the first track played by the band after the reunion, and is about missing each other, but once they got back playing live, these feelings were expelled and it was back to the old form again. Straight away, it’s off with PT 1 Overture which is laden with a full prog medieval sound with full keyboards and piano, some masterful bass work. PT 2 Oblivion carries on but with vocals, still reminiscent or Mr. Anderson but then the vocals remind me of a band from Latvia, called Brainstorm so lots of variety, either way Oblivion is a catchy tune and I reckon it will be a stand out track, once the listens have been clocked up, it’s a grower! PT 3 Hopes and Dreams instantly has a Momentary Lapse of Reason feel with the acoustic guitar, which has a moment of the Knopfler about it, but then we’re into something that has a Syd Barrett vibe, those innocent sounding lyrics, but then gets a little more serious in feeling. Thought provoking is what it is. As I listen, so many things come to mind and the sense and feeling is in constant flux. PT 4 Oblivion (reprise ) and PT 5 Around the Bend continue with the story. Even though it is in 5 parts and is a story of great musical depth, it has the right amount of everything to make a great journey. I’m not really able to explain all the thousands of things that are going on, all the different influences I can hear, but I can tell you that this 20 min opus is very much a musical masterpiece that carries so much emotions. A light touch of Mr Richard Wright (RIP) grabs at my ear and I’m a happy man.
Beating Hearts is, I guess, the title track and at 11 mins, is a track that delivers all the components of a classic 70s prog record. You can hear that the musicianship, production, thought process of everything was not done in haste and for sure those missing band years have not been in vein. We start off with some beautiful strings and then we’re straight into the full 70’s Rock vibe that take us back to when prog rock was king. The bass riffs are killer leading into the main body of this piece, which after some listens is becoming a clear stand out track. The lyrics about what love can do to a beating heart are truisms and we have all had those feelings. There are loads of changes with tempo, style. We have a classic rock vibe that is again very 70s in feel, great guitar solos. All round, an excellent track.
In the Autumn is next and here we have the feel of autumn and it is autumn after all, as I write this. Getting a bit of a Zep feel and then with the vocals come in, there is definitely that Battle of Evermore feel. A bit more of an accessible track for those who may not be into the drawn-out, complicated prog thing. A really catchy tune. The female vocals are by Amanda Örtenhag.
The next main track, after a 44 second reprise of Ecotone is Torrential Downpour. From the start, it has a very comforting feel and you can feel that it is going to be a great track. The rhythm is bouncy, the vocals are really nice, sometimes I wish I had a lyric sheet to understand more, like when we had records, but I’m feeling a bit mystical and mountainous, getting a Deep Purple, Dio, man on a silver mountain vibe. RIP RJD. Just as you think the track has finished…. You get a little encore and not only.
When you buy this album you will also get a bonus track, which I shall not reveal here. Don’t wanna be a spoiler for the fans.
Conclusion As this is a new band for me, butter just about to release album number 9. I am going to assume that Beardfish has a large cult following as with many bands that I discovered late and if that is so, then this album will no doubt be a massive pleaser and to new fans who already like the progressive rock thing, this will give you no amount of pleasure. Personally I can hear so many of my favourite bands on this album that it would be really, really hard not to think this a great album.
Beardfish are:
Rikard Sjöblom – vocals, keyboards, guitars
David Zackrisson – guitars
Magnus Östgren – drums
Robert Hansen – bass
Amanda Örtenhag – vocals
Tracklist
Ecotone
Out of the Open Part 1 – Overture.
Part 2 – Oblivion.
Part 3 – Hopes and Dreams.
Part 4- Oblivion ( reprise )
Part 5 – Around the Bend
Beating Hearts
In the autumn
Ecotone ( reprise )
Torrential Downpour
Bonus track.