LALU – The Fish Who Wanted To Be King
LALU, the progressively shaped compositional brainchild of French composer/ keyboardist/ producer Vivien Lalu, and featuring singer Damien Wilson, Lalu’s regular collaborator Joop Wolters (guitar, bass), Jelly Cardarelli (drums) and Matt Daniel (keys, Hammond, piano), offer up fourth album The Fish Who Wanted To Be King.
TFWWTBK is the natural (in narrative theme and progressive creativity) successor to previous album Paint The Sky, which was FabricationsHQ’s Progressive Album Of The Year 2022.
That the new album is stronger than its predecessor however, gives you an idea of just what a rich vein of creative form Vivien Lalu and his cohorts are in.
'Forever Digital' opens proceedings and is a serious statement of prog-intent.
There are comparisons to be made with Trevor Rabin-era YES here, and whilst there are layers of keys and some complex rhythm parts there’s also underlying muscular guitar parts reminiscent of 90125 and Talk.
However, Damian Wilson avoids Jon Anderson comparisons with a strong, semi-operatic voice that soars above the music. Some of the time changes and break-downs also remind you of Genesis, so the song (and indeed the project’s lineage) is clear.
The eleven-minute title track, which follows, is initially an up-tempo and altogether more straightforward number with some slide guitar and spoken word parts, and a favoured bass sound & style from Joop Wolters that reminds of Chris Squire (no bad thing).
Wolters also delivers a dextrous guitar solo in the middle of the number before the second section of the long-form piece veers off into a slower tempo with intricate instrumental passages and time changes.
It may not be for the casual listener but there is some superior prog-rock at play here, beautifully recorded, and superbly performed. A true highlight.
To reinforce we are deep in prog-rock territory we then have a song entitled 'Deoxyribonucleic Acid' (better known of course as DNA), albeit the song itself is a jaunty little melodic prog-pop number that’s almost sing-a-long with LALU.
It also underlines the musical creativity at play here, offering up some accessible, commercial passages which could earn a wider audience, certainly in terms of intelligent pop (and there’s hellish little of that around).
'Is That a London Number,' the album’s lead-off single, is built on insistent keyboard parts and a memorable chorus. More Squire-isms and some lovely guitar parts from Joop Wolters, combined with Damian Wilson’s vocal delivery, makes this another winner.
(It’s also interesting to note that in amongst the YES/ Genesis influence there’s also a hint of Spock’s Beard and later era Kansas; "shoulders of giants," etc).
TFWWTBK is the natural (in narrative theme and progressive creativity) successor to previous album Paint The Sky, which was FabricationsHQ’s Progressive Album Of The Year 2022.
That the new album is stronger than its predecessor however, gives you an idea of just what a rich vein of creative form Vivien Lalu and his cohorts are in.
'Forever Digital' opens proceedings and is a serious statement of prog-intent.
There are comparisons to be made with Trevor Rabin-era YES here, and whilst there are layers of keys and some complex rhythm parts there’s also underlying muscular guitar parts reminiscent of 90125 and Talk.
However, Damian Wilson avoids Jon Anderson comparisons with a strong, semi-operatic voice that soars above the music. Some of the time changes and break-downs also remind you of Genesis, so the song (and indeed the project’s lineage) is clear.
The eleven-minute title track, which follows, is initially an up-tempo and altogether more straightforward number with some slide guitar and spoken word parts, and a favoured bass sound & style from Joop Wolters that reminds of Chris Squire (no bad thing).
Wolters also delivers a dextrous guitar solo in the middle of the number before the second section of the long-form piece veers off into a slower tempo with intricate instrumental passages and time changes.
It may not be for the casual listener but there is some superior prog-rock at play here, beautifully recorded, and superbly performed. A true highlight.
To reinforce we are deep in prog-rock territory we then have a song entitled 'Deoxyribonucleic Acid' (better known of course as DNA), albeit the song itself is a jaunty little melodic prog-pop number that’s almost sing-a-long with LALU.
It also underlines the musical creativity at play here, offering up some accessible, commercial passages which could earn a wider audience, certainly in terms of intelligent pop (and there’s hellish little of that around).
'Is That a London Number,' the album’s lead-off single, is built on insistent keyboard parts and a memorable chorus. More Squire-isms and some lovely guitar parts from Joop Wolters, combined with Damian Wilson’s vocal delivery, makes this another winner.
(It’s also interesting to note that in amongst the YES/ Genesis influence there’s also a hint of Spock’s Beard and later era Kansas; "shoulders of giants," etc).
The fourteen minute mini-epic 'Amnesia 1916' features a synth-backed Hammond intro (very Jon Lord) which segues into an up-tempo song in 7/4 warning of the dangers of nuclear war, before dropping to a ballad section in the blink of an eye.
Lyrically, the piece touches on an underlying concept of the album, that of accountability, condemnation of power structures and vehemently opposing war ("1916… Dada, is the bomb!").
Musically, it remains engaging and interesting throughout, with continual time changes, key changes, and dynamic shifts aplenty.
Seriously impressive stuff, with fantastic production (as there is throughout) and stellar performances.
'A Reversal of Fortune' is a lovely piece of relatively understated music featuring both a tasteful piano and guitar solo before picking up the pace to allow Joop Wolters to really go for it.
A surprising, yet welcome inclusion on the album, all members of the band get to show off their chops on this slightly jazzy instrumental, but in a controlled and subtle manner.
'The Wondering Kind,' which closes out the album, is another example of a band delivering a song steeped in prog rock but with a modern twist, not unlike Canadian proggers SAGA at their melodically shaped and rhythmically tricky best (there are elements of the song which will have a wider appeal).
It’s also another object lesson in classy production (kudos also to those on mixing and mastering duties).
Another word here too on Damian Wilson, who delivers yet another great vocal performance.
The Fish Who Wanted To Be King is part epic, at times overblown and perhaps even a tad pretentious, but it’s a glorious experience of creative and intelligent prog.
And who doesn’t want to eschew clichéd torch song lyrics and tunes of unrequited love in favour of tracks about DNA, confirmation of a London phone number and references to Dadaism?
A contender for album of the year, in any genre, and certainly top of the prog contenders in the eyes, and more importantly ears, of FabricationsHQ.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Puchase/ stream via https://orcd.co/thefish
Lyrically, the piece touches on an underlying concept of the album, that of accountability, condemnation of power structures and vehemently opposing war ("1916… Dada, is the bomb!").
Musically, it remains engaging and interesting throughout, with continual time changes, key changes, and dynamic shifts aplenty.
Seriously impressive stuff, with fantastic production (as there is throughout) and stellar performances.
'A Reversal of Fortune' is a lovely piece of relatively understated music featuring both a tasteful piano and guitar solo before picking up the pace to allow Joop Wolters to really go for it.
A surprising, yet welcome inclusion on the album, all members of the band get to show off their chops on this slightly jazzy instrumental, but in a controlled and subtle manner.
'The Wondering Kind,' which closes out the album, is another example of a band delivering a song steeped in prog rock but with a modern twist, not unlike Canadian proggers SAGA at their melodically shaped and rhythmically tricky best (there are elements of the song which will have a wider appeal).
It’s also another object lesson in classy production (kudos also to those on mixing and mastering duties).
Another word here too on Damian Wilson, who delivers yet another great vocal performance.
The Fish Who Wanted To Be King is part epic, at times overblown and perhaps even a tad pretentious, but it’s a glorious experience of creative and intelligent prog.
And who doesn’t want to eschew clichéd torch song lyrics and tunes of unrequited love in favour of tracks about DNA, confirmation of a London phone number and references to Dadaism?
A contender for album of the year, in any genre, and certainly top of the prog contenders in the eyes, and more importantly ears, of FabricationsHQ.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Puchase/ stream via https://orcd.co/thefish