aaamusic | On 16, Aug 2010

In 2010, if you want to get the attention of the media, please fill your tunes of synthesized beats, or even better, folk off as a psyched-freak, hailing the atmosphere of places where you’ve never been, unless, well… unless you’re not Little Fish!

This Oxford duo says ‘f..k off’ to the marketing strategies of nowadays and after four years of successful singles, releases its first album, Baffled and Beat.

Whereas Little Fish is a minimalistic celebration to last 30 years of American rock’n’roll, Baffled and Beat is their manifesto.

After four years touring all around the world supporting giants as Dave Matthews, Hole, and Alice in Chains, critics know very well and there is plenty of comparisons already.

Juju, singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band, has been acclaimed as the new Patti Smith, and the association is not altogether wrong. Her voice is wild and startling. Personally it reminds me more of PJ Harvey or a young Grace Slick; anyway, big names.

Nez’ arms stomp restlessly on the drums and give even more energy to the sound of the album, completed by echoes of the same Hammond that accompanied the band in tour during the last few months.

The singles ‘Darling Dear’ and ‘Whiplash’ have been already reviewed, dissected and analysed by AAAmusic, but included in the whole album bring a new light on the band. There’s no doubt about it: the voice of Juju reached a new level, mature and self-conscious.

The idea of madness pulsing through ‘Darling Dear’ and ‘Am I Crazy?’ is balanced by the lows of ‘Sweat N Shiver’ and “Lucky’s Run Out’. In these two songs there is the clear fingerprint of producer Linda Perry, and the result is that there’s no trace of Juju’s unleashed rage.

This is the new challenge: the trademark of Little Fish is in Juju’s rant and rave. To grow up means to sharpen and refine this raw diamond, but on the other hand to lose its virginal allure. If this balance will be found we’ll be hailing the new voice of rock.

Author: Lorenzo Coretti