‘Fish Pond Fish’ is the latest release by indie-folk band Darlingside. Partially recorded before lockdown, the band members were forced to complete the sessions remotely in home studios. The finished recordings are quite remarkable given the enforced separation the band endured to complete the recording process.
Seamless harmonies wash over the listener on the opening ‘Woolgathering’, a song that quickly sets the tone of the record. Themes of the natural world are explored throughout the collective recordings as the music weaves its way through an amalgamation of folk, pop, and Americana, topped off with remarkable multi-layered vocals, that hint at shades of Crosby Stills and Nash or Simon and Garfunkel.
Musical highlights include ‘Crystal Craving’, ‘Green + Evergreen’, ‘Time Will Be’, and ‘A Light in the Dark’.
With production duties handled by Peter Katis (The National and Interpol), the album is balanced with shades of light and dark as musical tempos rise and fall. At times though instrumentation appears to compete with vocals, although this is a minor issue that will no doubt wear off upon repeated listening and these songs will be captivatingly performed in a live setting when we finally get to hear live music again.
‘Fish Pond Fish’ is a very strong release by a talented band who aren’t afraid to think outside of the box.