Black Heart Procession + Solbakken
In the Fishtank 11
Konkurrent

The In The Fishtank series is already well established in the Netherlands and has achieved some notoriety across the world too. Once again, though, this unique process of throwing two bands together into a studio to record a new album under the pressure of time limits and unfamiliarity has paid off. This time In The Fishtank 11 makes use of the talents of the brooding Black Heart Procession and the Dutch act Solbakken.

The first thing to strike you about this album is the delicious piano in opener ‘Voiture en Rouge’. It is a darkened, bold sound which continues throughout the record, and if you are unable to resist these piano hooks, it’s simply impossible not to appreciate the entire piece. The main twist of ‘Voiture en Rouge’, though, is the sultry French vocals, which flood the track with mystery and emotion, making it the perfect opener.

‘Nervous Persian’ takes that recipe of the slow, gloomy piano, and adds a hypnotic violin part on top, which creates an ethnic feeling. Understandably, this song plays out more like a jam while they explore the chords and creative options, with secretish vocals sitting amidst the sounds. Again, though, there is both beauty and mystery hidden within its components to enrapture the listener.

There are no real choruses or poppy hooks contained in these sessions. The songs evolve as fascinating, layered musical passages. Sometimes they’re packaged in a much brighter short burst, as with ‘A Taste of You and Me’. Other times, the ideas are explored into much greater detail, as with ‘Things Go On With Mistakes’, which stretches to almost 11 minutes, but demonstrates much more tension, as well as offering the listener a lot of intrigue over that period to sustain interest.

It’s difficult not to be impressed by the processes of learning and compromise that both bands underwent to produce the record alone, but beyond that, the latest In The Fishtank is no disappointment, and demonstrates a lot of ground explored within the six songs recorded.

Steven McCarron

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