Northumberland’s finest – the 5-piece melodic progressive rock band, Stuckfish – have just released their fourth album, suitably titled IV, and have succeeded in not only matching the quality of the previous release from 2022, the glorious Days of Innocence, but have managed to exceed it in my view.
Still consisting of Philip (Phil) Stuckey (vocals) and Adrian (Ade) Fisher (guitar); and supported by Phil Morey (bass) and Adam Sayers (drums), the album sees the introduction of new keyboardist Paul McNally – replacing Gary Holland (who left amicably after being unable to commit to the band’s increased live schedule).
The first album released on Rob Reed’s White Knight Records label, it marks a fresh approach – clearly highlighted by the eye-catching, but simpler album cover design (designed by Phil’s sister, Wendy Avery-Stuckey) – away from the landscape painting imagery favoured by most prog rock bands.
While fans of the band will be pleased to hear that the band retain much of their recognisable musical style and trademark cinematic elements that have built upon since their debut album in 2018, Calling, and then their 2019 release, The Watcher – there is a real sense of renewal and a willingness to throw in some surprises too.
“We had to raise the bar again in terms of freshness of ideas, concepts, themes and production,” says composer/producer Ade. “I feel it has been raised musically via the use of more acoustic guitars, orchestral instrumentation and extra vocal harmonies, and incorporating not only our shortest song to date, but also our longest.”
Phil adds, “The challenge for me was to create lyrics that matched the ambition we had for the album and float them on fresh melodies that allowed me to express myself vocally. This meant we had to take our time and let the new ideas emerge naturally. The music often came first and was so good I simply couldn’t waste a single word.”
In addition, the two were adamant that they would avoid doing the same thing on this album as they had on the previous three albums. If it felt too familiar it was rejected, and the underlying mantra was “What have we not done before?”
Ade has driven the musical vision throughout and even played keyboards, bass and drums when other band members were unavailable for recording sessions. Phil has brought his award-winning writing skills to the lyrics and has invited listeners to take alternative perspectives on everyday life or the lives of others (such as the French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt on Shadows & Moonbeams), or to travel with the narrator on a near death experience (SkiesFall), or even examine the timeline of a life shaped by a mixture of other people’s expectations and personal ambition (The Time of Your Life).
While undoubtedly framed within the melodic prog rock structure, IV demonstrates the band’s determination to push beyond such constraints and remain as fresh and original as possible. Ade’s production values are as high as ever and Phil’s vocals have never sounded as confident and diverse on this release. There is so much to savour over the 9 individual tracks and there is something for everyone.
The opening track, Shadows & Moonbeams, immediately hits you powerfully between the eyes, with Phil’s wonderfully deep and resonant lead vocals, wrapped around by shining multi-harmonies in a style reminiscent of Kansas and other 70s/80s pomp rock giants. Ade provides the lush keyboard chordal backwash over the chugging, marching bass and drums (the working title of the song was ‘Marching’) and then lets loose with a yearning electric guitar motif. The track has a real AOR/melodic rock power ballad feel to it throughout, as the sadness and plaintive lyrics tell the tale of a man enthralled, captivated and ultimately let down and dismissed by a beautiful lover (his ‘Sarah’). Inspired by the actress Sarah Bernhardt, who captured the heart of many admirers, only to have them chasing ‘shadows and moonbeams’, Phil says the lyrics give ‘an example of how controlling relationships work when one person holds all the power.’
Sarah, where did I go wrong?
Chasing shadows and moonbeams”
The song exudes freshness and confidence, with swirling guitar patterns and a killer chorus to boot and is an impressive calling card for the rest of the album, that is not afraid to follow different paths, whilst retaining their recognisable melodic prog rock style.
By contrast, Silently Waiting, starts serenely with gentle, acoustic guitar and dreamy vocals. Phil’s reflective contemplation of the end of a relationship is a sad, but delightful interlude, before the guitar chords kick in and the tempo picks up with some lovely probing bass from Phil Morey, with Ade’s drum programming and proggy keyboards taking the song in a different direction.
But reasons won’t restore
The beauty of the seasons
In the life we had before.”
A Spanish-style acoustic guitar solo seamlessly changes into a soaring and uplifting electric guitar one. Ade’s main inspiration was Bebop Deluxe and the way Bill Nelson could cram many different musical ideas into a relatively short song, including some new guitar tuning used by Ade for the first time. The result is a lovely and thoughtful musical gem that seems to reveal something new with every listen.
Lifeline is the album’s upbeat, feel-good track in the style of the likes of GameChanger and Run on previous albums. I first heard it when it had its live debut a year ago, and it provides a link to the past, whilst retaining an undeniable freshness to the album’s musical template. The catchy guitar chord motif of D, A, G, D, D, C propel a delicious slab of accessible melodic rock, with Magnum-style keyboards and flowing guitar patterns. Phil delivers some uplifting, rising and sweeping vocals about how we depend on each other in this troubled world of ours.
This is our moment
This is the lifeline
On which we depend.”
Phil and Adam pick up the rhythmic tempo impeccably and a moving bridge section with intimate vocals is followed by some busy, complex interplay between guitar, bass and drums, prior to reprising the main theme with lush stabs of vibrant organ through to the end.
Paul McNally’s lovely piano introduction starts Liberty gently, but Adam’s dynamic drums herald a real burst of power from the band soon after, with some mighty neo-prog guitar and synths. The song was inspired by a motif by former keyboardist Gary Holland and has a mini-epic feel of grandeur, with an atmospheric musical counterpoint to Phil’s dramatic and expressive vocals, as the lyrics recall the sayings of the Persian poet and philosopher, Rumi, and the role of love and contentment within the world and our lives.
You can put your trust in me.
Free your soul
Take control
We are truly wonderful.”
Changing musical patterns add freshness to the sombre and almost eerie feel, with some rich keyboard-led orchestration and potent drumming. A thoughtful spoken section, as if from an old vinyl recording, adds gravitas (apparently spoken by the TV painter Bob Ross) and works rather well. It’s an example of how the band are subtlety building upon the style of their earlier albums and adding something newer and inventive to their soundscapes.
At about 3 minutes in duration, Fragile is the shortest track Stuckfish have ever recorded, but is a masterpiece of musical and lyrical conciseness, and completely different to anything I’ve heard the band produce before. There is a heartfelt simplicity to the accessible, hopeful and pop-orientated synth-led instrumentation and dreamy, flowing lyrics and refrain of ‘Owner of a fragile heart’ (and not a nod to Yes, as I first wondered). It is a beautiful exercise in economy, apparently inspired around David Bowie’s Heroes, and whilst it could have flowed wonderfully for much longer for me, it works so well as the understated pivot point of the album.
Plunking string sounds and acoustic guitar motifs and harmonics signal the start of the truly epic The Time Of Your Life. This sumptuous and stately piece of symphonic prog, awash with waves of keyboards, has an opulent feel of musical theatre, with Ade’s orchestral arrangements adding the feel of a West End show crossed with the Alan Parsons Project. Phil’s pitch-perfect vocals convey an emotional and atmospheric balance between hope and trepidation, as the lyrics the difficulties in overcoming the expectations of others and our own personal hopes and aspirations, to push beyond such restraints. Phil’s spoken voice is pushed to a lower register during the eloquent poem he reads later in the song, and Ade delivers a stunning guitar solo to follow that just lifts everything beautifully.
Are you ready for the time of your life?’
The closing acoustic chords reflect those at the start, but here they are in the more hopeful major key, rather than the sadder minor key. It is another example of the compositional care taken throughout the album.
JFKX (or Just For Kicks) is a great musical contrast – a vibrant and fun-filled rocker of a song, starting with driving bass and drums, that I imagine could be a popular ‘on your feet’ track when played live in the future. Originally written as an unused demo for Marc Storace of Krokus, in the vein of Highway Star, the addition of Hammond organ and synths to accompany the Judas Priest-style guitar riffs, lifts it well beyond a simple blast of straight-ahead hard rock. Paul plays all the keyboard solos and this track is very much his introduction to the band on record. Melodic rock is where the band’s roots came from, and the track demonstrates this perfectly, with Phil clearly relishing the dynamic vocals and rock ambience.
Kicking off the dust, chasing paradise
There ain’t no rules to stop us breaking free
Gonna take it to the limit won’t you come with me.”
I initially found Fly (On Feathers Of Hope) the most intriguing of songs on the album, and over repeated plays it has become a real favourite, demonstrating how the band refuse to be pigeon-holed into any particular genre. Essentially a mini-suite of several musical styles, it is a truly progressive composition that continually rewards you with musical treats you didn’t hear previously. The opening section is inspired by Yes, and has the feel of a traditional prog song, with the music sweeping high via the electric guitar, followed by the introduction of some Pendragon-like organ and some 7/8 percussive rhythm. Yet, some dreamy jazzy guitar chords then enter and take the music in another unexpected direction. Phil’s vocals recount love as a spiritual journey and a flight into a world of dreams. However, the music shifts again on the chorus, with the use of xylophone adding a Frank Zappa-type eerie quirkiness to proceedings.
Throughout the veil, you can know me truly.”
A more typical melodic prog rock section follows, with some telling ensemble instrumentation from everyone, including some orchestral string sounds from Paul, before Ade nails another dramatic, chiming guitar solo and the catchy final refrains of ‘Fly, we can fly’ taking us to a wonderfully emotional conclusion. In another first for the band, the song ends on vocals alone. This is a set of musicians still not afraid to delve into new musical directions.
The album ends with their longest studio track ever to date, with SkiesFall, and it is a magnificent epic concerning accounts of the near-death experiences of many and the life changing effects they have on them. Phil imagines such a spiritual journey lyrically, whilst musically it is a complex mixture of emotions and themes. A slow, hypnotic tempo of bass, drums and an ethereal wash of synths accompanies yearning vocals with some thick bursts of prog metal guitar riffing, and a pensive, dreamy atmosphere. Phil’s poignant vocals are at their operatic best as the song develops and grows in stature before an Eastern-tinged and mystical interlude weaved by Paul’s keyboards and then a dense heaviness, as our protagonist experiences the afterlife but then is forced to return to the material world.
My time has not yet come
Eternity is waiting
Destiny frustrating.”
However, the musical weight is then superbly lifted by a sublime and resonating guitar solo to close, with his inventive use of a ‘whammy pedal’ creating changes in pitch through to the satisfying conclusion. Nothing like any other track they have produced, and it leaves a truly cathartic feel for the listener, as it gently fades away.
With IV, Stuckfish have produced a truly special album full of musical diversity and inventiveness, brimming with confidence and musicality. If you think you know Stuckfish, think again. There is still a familiarity to the music, but it is informed by a wish to take themselves to fresher musical areas they have not travelled to before. This is evolution rather than revolution, and by applying the philosophy of the ‘aggregation of marginal gains’ to every aspect of their music – they have raised the bar considerably. Ade’s production and compositional skills have never been higher, the musicians are pushing themselves further, and Phil’s vocals have never sounded so confident and assured. This is melodic progressive rock of the highest order and will hopefully expand their growing fanbase even more over the next year or so.
TRACK LISTING
01. Shadows & Moonbeams (7:09)
02. Silently Waiting (5:13)
03. Lifeline (5:58)
04. Liberty (7:07)
05. Fragile (3:02)
06. The Time Of Your Life (7:23)
07. JFKX (4:47)
08. Fly (On Feathers Of Hope) (7:23)
09. SkiesFall (9:20)
Total Time – 57:22
MUSICIANS
Phil Stuckey – Lead Vocals
Ade Fisher – Lead Guitars
Paul McNally – Keyboards
Adam Sayers – Drums & Percussion
Phil Morey – Bass
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: White Knight Records
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 11th September 2024
LINKS
Stuckfish – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | X | Instagram