Three years after their last release, the international group, Fish For Friday is back with their sixth album, 8MM. The album was largely written and recorded in the midst of lockdown and is a stellar addition to their discography. The band consists of founding member and producer Frank Van Bogaert (vocals, keyboards, guitars), Nick Beggs (bass, Chapman Stick, backing vocals, production), Marty Townsend (guitars) and Marcus Weymaere (drums, percussion) and has been in this incarnation since Beggs joined for album three in 2014. Musically, they do a fantastic job of straddling the line between prog rock and art pop with other elements like folk rock and jazz popping through, while the lyrics this time around often deal a lot with nostalgia. The perfect example of that is the title track, which opens the album. It’s a powerful, yet beautiful and melancholy track with outstanding vocal harmonies and hints of Pink Floyd with lyrics about pulling out old home movies and thinking back on life and past relationships (make sure to check out the video for the perfect visual accompaniment). “Collateral Damage” is a solid art pop tune with lyrics that are unfortunately very pertinent today. Next up is “Overture To Flame” / “Flame”, a cover from Metro’s self-titled 1977 album, and the only cover Fish On Friday has ever recorded. It sticks close to the original but gives it a modern edge. It’s a gorgeous, very dynamic, track with an instrumental opening that leads into a funky section with some great bass work from Beggs and then shifts into sweeping, prog tinged pop where Townsend really shines on the acoustic guitar, before picking up with a climactic finish. Traces of Pink Floyd show up again with the guitar and keys at the beginning of “Jump This Wall”, an upbeat pop-tinged tune enhanced with flute and sax that has a bit of an Alan Parsons feel and strangely a chorus that's reminiscent of Prefab Sprout. “Don’t Lose Your Spirit” opens with a two-and-a-half-minute prog instrumental before the vocals come in and kick it up a notch with a very art pop sound before slowing down for a captivating ending. Clocking in at almost eight minutes, “Funerals” shifts around in tempo, starting and ending slow and introspective, but picking up in the middle with an upbeat section highlighted by organ and some great acoustic guitar. Featuring outstanding lead vocals from bassist Nick Beggs’ daughter Lulu, “Silently Raging” is a dreamy, extremely infectious track with a nice, very easygoing groove. Beggs' bass work really stands out on “Instillers” a really strong catchy, midtempo rocker. Following the laid-back “A New Home” they close the disc with the gorgeous “Life Is Like The Weather”, a light, hypnotic acoustic folk tune that takes a reflective, sometimes somber, look back at childhood love. While the band name is one was familiar with, for some reason Fish On Friday has never been on my radar, but after listening to 8MM I can assure you that is something that is about the change.
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