Musical Birthday Present

[inabsentia]

Absolutely amazing band....Got hear of them via the CRS, heard the montage of clips on their website and popped my £12 in the post..Thought I might enjoy it but it completely knocked me sideways..

These guys are not full time (Though one of them does have a 'day job' with the BBC Phiharmonic orchestra!), they've financed the album themselves, yet at no point would you think that it hasn't had a huge budget spent on it. The album is now back in stock direct from the band, and they've just added a paypal scheme for those outside the UK to order through (Or UK-ers who prefer the 'plastic route').

Here's the review from my 'Best Albums of 2003'

02. STRANGEFISH - FULL SCALE
Every now and again, you get to hear something which is so good, you
actually have to stop what you are doing, try and pick your jaw off the
floor, and listen again just to see if what you just heard was really 'that
good'...when it sounds even better on that second time through, you know
there is something a little bit special 'going on! When a band with
mega-bucks behind them pull that rabbit out of the hat, it's a very
laudable effort, but when 5 guys from a prog backwater like Manchester in
the UK (I can say that, as I live there too!)who've financed the whole thing
themselves do it, then that's extra special.

Yes folks, this album is 'That Good'..seriously...Eight songs, three of
which pass the ten minute mark, three more are over seven, means that
Strangefish like to give their music room to breathe and evolve naturally.
Prog of the highest order that anyone with a liking for the likes of It
Bites, Marillion, Spock's Beard, IQ, plus fans of 'old school' prog like Yes
and Genesis are going to love ..The It Bites thing jumped out at me on a
several occasions, none more so than on the incredible 'At First Sight'..I
could imagine Francis and the boys hearing it and thinking 'Wow, I wish WE'D
have wrote this!!'- brilliant, pop tinged prog that is probably the
highlight of the whole album. This is no 'One Tr(a)ick Pony' though, The
opener 'Shifting Sands And Turning Tides' is tour-de-force of progressive
excellence-the lovely thick synths and guitars almost put me in mind of
early Saga.

There is not a minute of this whole album that I don't savour with each and
every play. I only got it just before Christmas Thankfully, I hadn't posted
my list early as I was expecting a couple of late entries-but this wasn't
one of them!. The only reason this isn't at number one is because I've had
all year to take in the magnificence of 'Last Epic' by A.C.T-which had
exactly the same effect on me on it's first play and has continued to stay
as fresh as the day I heard it. I don't see any reason why Strangefish won't
do the same though.

Yes folks..it really is THAT GOOD (YES, I KNOW, I already said that, but it
bears repeating!!)...I've had several 'round table' type play through's with
friends and I've not yet seen anyone go away without saying 'I HAVE to have
this'.. Finally, thanks go to the wonderful folks at the Classic Rock
Society, who introduced me to the name through their excellent bi-monthly
magazine (Link to their website is below, too). At their end of year awards,
Strangefish walked away with three major pots, not bad going when you see
the list of luminaries they've beaten out!

The only unfortunate thing about this album right now is that it's going to
be a bit difficult to get hold of without having a UK bank account, as they
are not yet geared up to take credit card orders, though if this review (And
the rather neat 'montage' of clips on the band's site) have peaked your
interest, drop them a line, as I KNOW they've already had interest from
people outside the UK.
www.strangefish.co.uk
http://www.classicrocksociety.com/