This quirky debut album from The Blue Eyed Shark Experiment is an eclectic example of sombre indie pop that varies in quality. With the title track a tepid non-starter and first song on the record, it really doesn’t bode well. However, the album soon recovers with the heart-warming tale of companionship, ‘Goodbye My Little Friend’. This track was inspired by Bes’ (as he’s more familiarly known) battle with cancer, yet despite his ill health being the motivation for the lyrics, the melody of the song is surprisingly upbeat. The piano-led ‘Generation’ has a ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ feel to it, with his endless listing of the features of our generation, whilst his latest single, ‘Tapdance’, somewhat resembles the sound of Belle & Sebastian. Throughout the album Bes maintains his predominantly acoustic vibe, with the odd electronic aid, and generally the profound resonance of his lyrics is not matched vocally, although his rough around the edges voice is the secret to his endearing charm. The surreal ‘Jet Plane’ rounds the album off nicely with a celebration of ‘The Age Of Distortion’ using energetically scintillating synth.
