FORTUNE TELLING

This second album from the UK progrock formation Strangefish sounds fresh, dynamic and alternating with obvious hints from neo-prog bands like IQ and Pendragon but also lots of own, very original musical ideas: many shifting moods and a 'vintage Hammond organ sauce' like early Kansas in Happy As I am, beuatiful, very intense violin work in 360° and powerful rock with blistering electric guitar and Minimoog-like synthesizer flights in Have You Seen The Light. Their best composition on this CD is the instrumenal Lighthouse Jig: first a catchy rhythm featuring swirling violin play that ranges from early Kansas inspired to Irish folk-oriented and then, after a fiery guitar solo, the music builds to a compelling final part with great interplay between violin and guitar, to me this sounds as 'progheaven'!

I had never heard of this band but the first meeting has been a very pleasant one, Strangefish is a promising and entertaining prog band that delivers tasteful and elaborate compositions with lots of variety, from classical sounding violin to harder-edged guitar work or bombastic keyboards. Worth to discover neo-progheads!