Sleeping in Traffic: Part One is Beardfish’s
third release. Their first two albums were independent
and InsideOut finally signed them up and now prog
fans outside of Sweden can enjoy the band’s
melodic croons. The music is reminiscent of the prog-legends
of the seventies. They use light guitars, clavinet,
organ, and effects to create comforting waves of psychedelic
rock while vocalist and writer Rikard Sjoblom lets
his lofty vocals fly. He has a very soothing voice
with a falsetto that gives him an incredible range.
He uses his gift without reservation. The band also
uses vocal harmonies as can be heard in the track
And Never Know. The instruments balance carefully
behind Rikard. They are very talented but what I liked
about the alum was how low key they keep them. There
are guitar solos, organ features, etc. but it is never
over the top and there is nothing to detract from
the overall complexity of the songs. You won’t
find the virtuoso solos of a Dream Theater album here
or even the hard edge of a band like Pain of Salvation
here. Instead they reminded me a little bit of a tossed
salad of Gentle Giant, Porcupine Tree, Pilotdrift,
Polyphonic Spree, and King Crimson. The melodies are
catchy, the harmonies addictive, and complex. Another
thing that I liked about Beardfish was that each track
was its own. There is very little stylistic overlap
from one track to the next. They have a strong diverse
sound that will go from a jazz, to a rock ballad,
to a psychedelic journey before you can blink.
If you haven’t already guessed, I thoroughly
enjoyed Beardfish’s Sleeping in Traffic: Part
One. The tracks kept me guessing as to what was coming
next and their musicianship kept me in awe for the
duration of the eleven tracks. To date, this is one
of the best CD’s I have heard this year and
it is bands like Beardfish that keep me coming back
to InsideOut. They are a label that always manages
to find great talent and Beardfish is a perfect example
of another InsideOut gem.
Key Tracks: Roulette, The Ungodly Slob
Reviewed by Ben Black |
