Fisherkings – Last To Know
Fisherkings – Last To Know – EP Review
I half expected this to be an instrumental! I tried to get a word out of these guys after having the EP passed my way…but believe me, the Fisherkings didn’t even come close to taking the bait! Got the ol’ industry-standard set of links blasted at me, not even a hello…because I’m, you know, a robot without feelings and general slave to the music-scene. And like I said…I was kind of more cool with it when I expected that Fisherkings must be robots themselves, or at least instrumental…and then I start playing this new three-song set from the two-piece ensemble – and it turns out they’ve got tons to say and sing about! So maybe it’s just me…maybe I offended the band in a previous-life, or maybe they’re just from the old-school parts of the music-industry in terms of their approach. As we all know – it’s a brand-new era out there…and for the independent music-scene, best foot forward is always the way to go…connections lead everywhere and they’re always important as a project gets off the ground.
With all that ranting aside…in all seriousness – the music of Fisherkings would have been impossible to push away, even if I’d wanted to. These guys have an incredibly warm and inviting sound that’s instantly comforting to the soul…and they’ve clearly put their hearts & minds right into making these new songs. Each track that played from Last To Know really seemed to possess that sweetness and invitational nature to its sound, cadence and composition, which really makes for a pleasant listening experience all-around. I truly found what I heard over these three songs to have a real exceptional, honest-beauty in their melodies…and I really felt like it was the performances on part of both Henrik Berg and Stefan Rasmusson that really made the entire set go from good to great – this is a wonderful combination of talent between these two and these songs really feel alive with sincerity.
“Last To Know” is a fantastic song in its own right, and it’s also the first of the three on this mini-record. I can’t even properly express just how much I think about this song…I just absolutely think it’s terrific from beginning to end. The guitars are exceptional at every moment here on “Last To Know” and they sparkle with a bright and bouncy rhythm that sets a perfect pace for the vocals to really let out their best. And they do! What a performance! I love the sound of this voice when it really lets the rasp invade the smoothness and trips right into an acoustic-rock kind of gruffness – it fits so incredibly well with the energy of the music and the rhythm and tone that it’s seriously stunning. Right off the bat here, Fisherkings come out sounding crisp, clear and completely impressive on “Last To Know.”
As they head into a more innocent style & sound of song with “Everything I Need” – they show a gentleness that echoes some of the isolated-melodies and distance you felt on the early Coldplay album Parachutes. Again much like the material on that record – there’s not much to this song other than its acoustic-lead and vocals…and it plays so stunningly gorgeously that it leaves you without wanting a single other thing added to it. It feels incredibly genuine as it plays…it’s a song like “Everything I Need” that really shows the strength and power in their combined talents and songwriting together; Fisherkings aren’t relying on any gimmicks here, just their own incredible instincts.
And from what I can hear personally…there’s a great chance that their sound & style could lead them in all the right directions. I’ve loved each song as this EP has revolved around my playlist…but I’d have to say, “Come Come Come” could very well be my favorite of what has been a seriously impressive set of tunes. I fell in love with the guitar melody in this final tune quickly…those are some supremely golden-tones! They fit this final idea and melody perfectly, as do the vocals once again. Perhaps my favorite performance for both the guitar and vocals…”Come Come Come” is stunning from top to bottom. The vocal melody is sheer beauty…and for me, it was the tiny little breaks…the vocalizations that weren’t really ‘words’ that had the most effect on me here. There’s great singing happening in these parts – and not a single word is required, just ingenuity and clever instincts. The breakdown ending of “Come Come Come” was also an excellent move – it brings back that final moment of musical-innocence and the raw-emotion you can really FEEL in the writing of the Fisherkings.
One of these days I’ll get a hello out of this band…if it takes me heading to Sweden to do it and sitting in the front-row, I might just have to do it. They might be quiet…but that might also indicate a humble band that focuses on the music…I can live with that! Absolutely beautiful experience listening to these songs from Fisherkings – if you’re into well-thought-out and wonderful acoustic-music – you’ll be all over this. For the rest of you out there – an experience like listening to the Last To Know EP is something that can truly work wonders to help soothe the soul, and I fully recommend giving these guys a listen no matter what you normally listen to. Fisherkings make music with tremendous heart and sincerity that shines strongly throughout this EP…it’s mesmerizing and gorgeous to listen to.
Find out more about Fisherkings at their official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fisherkingsmusic
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