Fish and Scale – The Kid (2021)
With his single ‘Unmask Myself’, Fish and Scale seeped touching emotions into our chests with a touch of vulnerability and sentimentality. ‘The Kid’ continues this evocative and emotional movement while telling the story of a child caught in undefined pain. Touching something that we all have inside us, he considers the patterns of life that we unconsciously adopt from a young age.
Through the single, he looks at how this adoption affects our lives and what can happen if we remain separated from our true selves. A powerful message wrapped up in gentle folk tones, it tugs at your heart while turning your attention to your own patterns and separations. The accompanying music video brings the concept of the song to visual life through an initially futile search for one’s identity.
‘The Kid’ opens with a folk-rock tone that strums into the depths of your soul. You can hear that there is a serious message in the track from the power of the opening line. This line turns into a powerful melody that moves between deep punching piano notes and light breezing tones. The guitar and piano dance around each other while bringing their own movement to the melodic arrangement. It is a very different melody that adds poignancy to the single while capturing your attention. The arrangement is also undeniably masterful as it gets a slightly ominous feeling later and has the hairs on the back of your neck standing on edge.
Speaking out against the melody are the vocals that have a slight spoken-word feeling to them. The vocal performance is reminiscent of folk greats who balance on the edge of singing and spoken word. This adds emphasis to the lyrics and gets you really thinking about what he has to say. His performance works through a gentle youthful daydream to an aggressive growl. I would recommend really taking the time to listen to the lyrics because they get you thinking about your own life.
The accompanying music video is relatively simple in its visuals, but this brings the message of the track home in a way that a big production might not. Using a monochrome style, the video opens with a search through the streets for identity. The weary walk is one many can relate to. When the music brings that ominous flow, the video changes for a lost visual before moving on to something beautifully positive.
Fish and Scale use a masterful melody and vocals that border spoken word to deliver a powerful message of self-discovery in ‘The Kid’. The piano-driven melody is rather light before turning heavy and ominous only to brighten with positive feelings. The vocals are worth a good listen as they wrap around poetic lyrics tapping into struggles, self-discovery and the freedom that comes at the end of the journey.
Find out more about Fish and Scale on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
