"If you're a Reuben fan at all..." begins the email introducing this Surrey outfit. It features an obliging quote from Reuben drummer Guy Davis. The first band on their influences list... well, let's just say they were the eldest of the children of Israel. One can hardly be blamed for taking this opportunity to patiently explain exactly why they will probably never be as good as their heroes.
Rookie errors such as writing sentences in the wrong order ("from you I've always tried to keep away"), an absence of truly memorable hooks, and a manly but passionless vocal delivery are the chief culprits. Reuben frontman Jamie Lenman may have been a genial character but there was a also a confessional depth missing here; you can't picture Fear No Fish ever screaming an honest appraisal of how they've let their Mum down a la ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’.
All is not 100% lost. They may not be hummable but they can be airdrummable - you can almost feel the relief at the end of ‘Stay’ and the middle eight of ‘The Truth’ when the burden of vocals duties is lifted and the power trio can rock out, and the guitar solo on ‘Mick E-Bubbles’ is fresh, fun and exuberant. But someone in Fear No Fish needs to turn on the "just don't give a fuck" switch in their head next time they approach the mic.
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