{"id":812480,"date":"2017-01-26T09:07:44","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T14:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/?p=812480"},"modified":"2017-01-26T09:10:57","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T14:10:57","slug":"hard-swimmin-fish-true-believer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/2017\/01\/26\/hard-swimmin-fish-true-believer\/","title":{"rendered":"Hard Swimmin’ Fish: ‘True Believer’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boy, Hard Swimmin\u2019 Fish are fun, aren\u2019t they? A staple in the Frederick music scene for what seems like a lifetime, the quartet\u2019s live show has been a must-see for anyone who is even slightly familiar with the downtown music scene. The old-fashioned suits. The harp that blows hurricanes through the speaker of a telephone. The upright bass. The crazy-looking, unconventional drum kit. It\u2019s a ball of entertainment each time it convenes, be it on the small stage at JoJo\u2019s or on the streets during a First Saturday.<\/span><\/p>\n

But how does that energy translate in the studio? The answer to that question is nuanced. Sure, the visual novelties that accompany the group are invisible, and yeah, there\u2019s historically been something that gets lost in this genre when you try to take it from the stage into the recording booth. But with \u201cTrue Believer,\u201d the band\u2019s latest set, these guys display the ability to keep their unique blend of Americana, roots and blues in tact all the while purporting a rendition of the signature flair that makes their performances so memorable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, That Was Close\u201d embodies as much. Led forward with a driving train beat, it\u2019s everything that makes Hard Swimmin\u2019 Fish so endearing: a ragtime vibe soaked in humor and a light heart made all the more intriguing with a series of solos from Demian Lewis\u2019s six-string and Waverly Milor\u2019s white-hot harp. It\u2019s just quirky enough to put a smile on your face \u2014 especially with Milor\u2019s exasperated ad-libs that help fade the track to its end.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same urgency shines on \u201cCome Together\u201d and \u201cMess Around.\u201d The latter is a modern day juke joint classic-in-the-making, recalling echoes of Ray Charles, who recorded the song all the way back in 1953. It turned out to be one of the legend\u2019s first hits and the Fish do it justice all the way through the sprightly utterance of \u201cI declare\u201d that\u2019s sure to make you smirk. The former then begins with Southern guitar work that practically makes the speakers sweat with its homage to delta textures and a deliciously swampy harmonica brightens the murky haze of humidity that circles the structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even the ballads work. \u201cNeed Your Love So Bad\u201d thrives with its tradition, a straight-ahead slow dance that\u2019s accentuated with the help of guest John Sharrer\u2019s organ. It\u2019s a tiny touch that makes all the difference in the world, suggesting it might be wise to add a fifth to this school of Fish on a full-time basis. \u201cLove Me Or You Don\u2019t\u201d also slows things down, albeit it with more funk and a groove that slithers more than it saunters. It\u2019s got that trademark sound these guys have perfected through the years: Pop blues with a touch of soul that opens up for some killer guitar work on behalf of Lewis.<\/span><\/p>\n

They stumble only when they lean too far toward the pop side of that equation. \u201cFive Years Hard Labor\u201d is fine enough with its jaunty structure and musical breaks that help the song get in and out of its payoff line, but it just feels like the record would be better served with a return to the Delta. \u201cLove Me Or You Don\u2019t\u201d is better, Milor\u2019s subtle playing giving the track a smokey backdrop, though even the pool hall atmosphere can\u2019t save it from the throes of mediocrity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worry not, however, because the fuzz that paints \u201cNo Shortage Of The Blues\u201d epitomizes rock grit in an era when such things aren\u2019t nearly as valued as they once were. Lewis even rewards listeners with a Stevie-Ray-ian rip that helps bridge the space between choruses. And then there\u2019s the secret track that might just be the entire set\u2019s best moment. Fully equipped with faded vocals and a loose rhythm, it sounds like the best front porch party you could find in 2017. The group backing harmonies also add an unexpected communal ethos to a band that makes its bones making people feel welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which, of course, leads us back to the beginning: How does Hard Swimmin\u2019 Fish\u2019s live energy translate in the studio? Well, in the case of \u201cTrue Believer,\u201d the answer is quite well. Polished but not shinny, uncompromising but not sloppy, bluesy but not inaccessible, honest but not heavy, this record captures the quartet in a light under which they\u2019ve never been able to shine previously. And while the water through which they swim might be occasionally cloudy, these aquatic creatures have never sounded so clean.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s enough to make a believer out of anybody.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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*** 3 STARS OUT OF 4 ***<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Boy, Hard Swimmin\u2019 Fish are fun, aren\u2019t they? A staple in the Frederick music scene for what seems like a lifetime, the quartet\u2019s live show has been a must-see for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-812480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812480\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fnpsites.net\/playlist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}