Strangefish - Fortune Telling

Well, I finally got a copy of Fortune Telling last weekend from the CRS shop at the Oakwood center, having been unable to travel the previous weekend down to see the launch gig.

This hasn't been out of a CD player all week. Three listens on the way home on Sunday, then in and out of the car and home players all week.

I have to say this is incredibly impressive stuff, and I really have to hand it to the guys on producing an excellent piece of work.

It is inventive, well structured, very well played and simply magical. The use of the violin in some passages, like 360 is inspired. This is an album many of us have waited 20 years for.

I won't go into a track by track crit here, there is so much to comment on. Apart from clear stand out tracks like Keep The Exits Clear and Ignorance of Bliss, one of my favourites is It could Be Me. This is just over 7 minutes, but is a mini epic in its won right with over a dozen interwoven passages through it.

The whole album is crammed full of musical nuggets that take many listenings to take in. From slow linking instrumentals, to the powerful and grand themes, this has it all. If you enjoyed mid 70's Genesis, or early Marillion, I can't recommend this album highly enough. Don't just take my word for it, I played this today to a friend who is a long long term prog rock fan, and she was blown away, and is off to the website to order the CD this weekend.

I'm sure there are many bands, not just prog ones that would kill for a vocal performance like this one. Not to dimminish in any way of course the great musical performance by the rest of the band here, coupled with some excellent solos throughout. I'm sure there will be many comparisons to past bands and singers, but I hear on this CD a fresh new approach while remaining within the traditional bounds of symphonic prog rock, with the emphasis on the rock.

The CD package is also very professional, good layout, good story and high quality graphics and priniting.

If this is what Strangefish can do part time, heavens only knows what more time and money can bring.

The CD is available directly from the band at: www.strangefish.co.uk