antimusic.com: Get To Know... Fishtank Review

Fishtank

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Have you ever asked yourself, "Why am I swimming around like this?" Probably not. But that question makes for a slightly comical album title, and when your band is called Fishtank, an existential one as well. Led by singer Talitha Giusti, Fishtank is a British alt rock band and their recently-released Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? is a very impressive debut. Opening cut "Watercolours" finds Giusti sounding a bit like Annie Lennox and fans of the subdued side of Lennox or the Eurythmics will instantly hit it off with the song. Prog fans on the other hand will dig the sublime "Keep Looking" with its theme of personal searching that's heightened by a sharp guitar solo from Chris Hargrave. Fishtank is essentially a duo and Giusti and Hargrave are each other's foil throughout; on "Keep Looking" Giusti sounds quite sane singing about an existential quest while Hargrave's ax work clearly reflects the inner turmoil that the searcher is likely experiencing. The music on Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? really doesn't require analyzation though, and Giusti told antiMUSIC that the album "Represents a labor of love, which we're incredibly proud of, and a really progressive experience which has helped us develop our songwriting and take the Fishtank sound to another level."

Fishtank utilizes synths (also Hargrave) in their music to create gentle melodies and because of that they have drawn comparisons to the highly-influential Erasure, something that is especially noticeable on cuts like "Beautiful/Human," and with the synth taking a more prominent role, on "Feels So Good." Fishtank save the album's title cut for last; "Why Am I Swimming Around Like This?" ends the album on a trippy note as Hargrave speaks "Small fish, small pond, small fish, big pond" and the like over an appropriately underwater-sounding music bed.

Fans can listen to the whole of Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? and follow Fishtank here.

Watch the video for Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? cut "Dared You" here.

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