Fugu - As Found (Third Side)
2/5
By: Chris O'Toole
The Japanese puffer-fish, Fugu, has gained a reputation as one of the most dangerous dishes available; its poison being lethal to anybody who eats it if prepared incorrectly. Only highly skilled chefs in licensed restaurants can cook the infamous fish and it is the only food forbidden to the Emperor of Japan - for his own safety. In short it is dangerous, unique and quintessentially Japanese - strange then it should be adopted by a French band singing middling pop ballads in English.
The group's debut album, largely the work of French born multi instrumentalist / vocalist Mehdi Zannad, 'As Found', released by Third Side Records, is a collection of sunshine infused, jaunty pop singles with simple lyrics and open hearted optimism. Emotions are not so much worn on sleeves as painted in smoke in the summer sky, hundred meters high platitudes talking of love and little else. Fugu have taken the leftovers of the summer of love, b-sides from Brian Wilson, stripped it back to the core elements and put it through a modern paradigm - akin to Boy Least Likely To or Shout out Louds! - to create their own hippy love-fest. However, this is England and the summer is patchy at best. While there are rays of imagination shining through the clouds the simplified and staid orchestration pays homage to the former greats, never touching the top tiers of baroque-pop.
'Have Today' picks up the scraps left over from such luminaries as Brian Wilson, the Monkees or the Hollies, but is sung by a single composer. There is none of the surf vibe or arching harmonies, but there is still a quest for melody, an understanding of the key components of a successful pop song - simple, beautiful and memorable. Where Fugu comes unstuck is the lack of ambition, the songs sound canned and over produced; while they are layered and complex this does not add depth, tracks just run into the grooves of others. 'Civil Rights' is a case in point. It starts as a simple ballad to freedom, but quickly becomes crowded with all manner of bells and whistles, losing focus and eventually the listener.
'You Pick Me Up' and 'Straight From the Heart' are candy for the ears, frighteningly sweet and all too easily digested. Sharp, clean guitars pick out melodies as drums politely point in the right direction and are joined by a gingerbread army of flutes, violins and restrained orchestration to create a childlike revelry. 'A Bigger Splash' follows suit with delicate piano and hushed drums, politely enquiring if you would like to dance and smiling whatever your response. 'Parking Lots' moves into a more mournful territory before 'People' lifts the spirits and pace toward the end.
There is variety on 'As Found', different tempos and instrumentation are used to adorn Zannad's voice, but the while the combinations come close they never really click. There is no real spark to lift the listener out of their seat and start them dancing, nothing that sticks in the mind more than a few second after it is played. To reach the top levels of the genre, and the crown is presently held by Sufjan Stephens, there needs to be more imagination, more unpredictability - this album is stuck in its own sticky sweet honey; beautiful but utterly useless.
Stream two tracks from 'As Found' HERE.
Artists in this article: Fugu
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