Detailed Reviews [A Flying Fish - 2023 - "El Pez Que Volo. Act I"]

Prolusion. Mexican project A Flying Fish has been an active venture for almost a decade at this point, with at least one prior studio album released in addition to a small handful of EP productions. This year this project had their second album ready. This creation is called "El Pez Que Volo. Act I" and was jointly released by the labels Apollon Records and Gymnocal Industries in the late fall of 2023.

Analysis. A Flying Fish is a venture that revolves around a single creator, and that is a creator that appear to know his way around the progressive rock scene as well as being well versed in progressive rock history. That one of the compositions is named 'Genezees' is probably very intentional, although the nature of the musical landscapes explored on this track as well as on the album as a whole does come with a bit of a tongue in cheek and playful attitude. This is an album that plays around with conventions and expectations quite a lot, and while this comes across as a seriously planned and assembled creation it is also a production that has its liberal share of playful, expressive and whimsical attitudes. Those fond of expressive as well as careful and dreamladen symphonic progressive rock of the old school variety will get their fills here for sure, with plenty of retro-sounding instruments used and explored in an old school manner throughout. That some of the cuts also feature more modern day progressive metal explosions merits am mention too of course, even if those select few instances have a dramatic role to a much greater extent than a defining or musical one as such. The important aspect inside this totality is that the creator opted for this more contemporary effects rather than a more traditional one in this case, showcasing a composer with a liberal and inclusive manner in which music is created. Besides the strict progressive rock elements we also get a liberal amount of jazz and jazz-oriented escapades, and in addition one of the more striking and defining aspects of this album as a whole is the liberal and almost constant use of orchestral effects and arrangements. The use of multiple vocalists that all tend to have an expressive vocal delivery is probably just as defining of this album as the orchestral elements, and that these tend to combine nicely kind of comes with the territory here. While playful, expressive and often whimsical, this is also a production that just as often will have darker and more haunting undercurrents. Dark and dramatic displays with either a bombastic or a more subdued manner of dramatic displays are just as important as the light-hearted whimsy here, with some elegant and dreamladen passages in between. While this is undeniably progressive rock of the kind that has a strong emphasis on the progressive aspect of it all, and with a liberal amount of focus on retro qualities to boot, just as important or perhaps even more important for the qualities of the landscapes explored here is the influx from the world of the musical. The orchestral elements used, as well as quite a few of the more delicate songs, all come with a strong musical feel to them. In this case I do not see Broadway musicals as the main possible source of inspiration though, and not the kind of musicals some people in the progressive rock universe have explored over the years either. Although I did think I heard a couple of nods in the direction of Rick Wakeman along the way here. And possibly some references to old school Queen too, when it comes to that. Instead I'll point my finger in a very different direction in this case. The main association I got throughout, and one that struck me as increasingly plausible as this album played out, was towards the type of musical crafted by legendary director Tim Burton. With one song in particular that struck me as a song that would have been perfect on the soundtrack for a movie like "A Nightmare Before Christmas". To my ears this is an utterly charming, creative and expressive productions. In style and execution a distinctly retro-oriented affair, but with the inclusion of some distinctly contemporary elements, and an experience that balance light-hearted whimsy with a darker and more haunting undercurrent as well. Yin and yang are both present and accounted for, with good, old Janus chiming in for good measure.

Conclusion. It is not often that I find it viable to give an album a perfect score, but for me this is one of those rather rare occasions. For me this is an album that represents all the good sides of progressive rock in one go. It is suitably challenging but easy to listen to. It is both complex and simplistic, charmingly retro-oriented with contemporary features, and it combines the legacy of old school progressive rock with traditions that exist outside of this universe in a manner that both connects and disconnects the album with past traditions and excursions. If you tend to enjoy old school progressive rock just as much as you enjoy the soundtrack to the musicals directed by Tim Burton, this is an album that should be considered an essential purchase. While anyone with an affection for the more expressive side of progressive rock should, at least, give this album a listen.

Progmessor: November 2023
The Rating Room