Fish and Scale evokes a sense of groovy devotion within all of us with his latest release, Wonderful. He combines all sorts of genres to give us ear-worms that fertilizes our musical garden to a flourish! He injects each and every track with an infectious sense of purpose. Each song has its unique qualities, but what ties all of them together are the themes of hope and belief in yourself.
Fish and Scale asks us to Stay
The first song to welcome us into Fish and Scale’s world is Stay. Right from the start, the third wall is broken as he addresses us and eases us into this journey of an album. He very genuinely asks us to come as he is- “Honest, naked, and emotional”. The song literally aims for us to accept him and ourselves. We could very well chalk up the song to a spiritual journey, but I believe that it is more than that, it is about accepting ourselves, even if it means we are imperfect.
Don’t Care
Don’t Care goes down the Zumba route. The track is sunshine personified. This particular track reminds me of Robbin Williams. It follows in Stay’s footsteps with the elaborate piano work, which is somehow both groovy and classical. This particular track adds so much texture to the album. It showcases Fish and Scale’s versatility when it comes to the large variety of soundscapes that he can imagine, write and perform. If this soundscape were a landscape personified, it would most definitely be a beach; it is as light, breezy, easy, and as fun as a day on the beach.
Wonderful
Usually, you end an album with a bang- literally, a single that is busy with instrumentals and sounds but this isn’t like that. Wonderful is nothing like that. It is a lovely jazz track that tells you how wonderful you are. It leaves you with hope and a smile. You can imagine him playing this on the piano with a whisky glass on the top of it and you believe every word he sings. It’s just him, the piano and you in a room. The song, nay the album feels personal and intimate because he addresses the listeners by literally saying “You”.
Bruce Almighty is one of those films that really gets to you. The shared theme of realization within this album and the film, makes it a divine addition to the film’s playlist. There is something so unique about both the film and the album, its the fact that you speak of God but not through the lens of devotion and that you speak to yourself with a devoted sense of kindness. He has multiple perspectives within each and every song and you can see it with how much a track is layered with lush instrumentals and even meaning. Fish and Scale has a huge touch of folk, church and jazz in his music. It’s hard to ignore a talent that demands your attention to his unique art.