CLUTCHING AT STRAWS

Fish's last hurrah with Marillion comes up a little short of its predecessor, but to come short of a masterpiece is hardly an insult. Clutching At Straws very much goes along the lines of Misplaced Childhood, except if Misplaced Childhood is Abel, then Clutching At Straws is Cain. CAS is much darker and depressing than Childhood, even lacking the customary happy ending to send you off on a high note. However, as is often true in life, the most beautiful things can be found in the darkest places. As you make your way through the dark chasms of Fish's emotions, you'll begin to see this beauty unfold in the melodies and words of CAS. I feel this album has less of a focus on instrumentation that its predecessor, instead following mostly the lyrics and top-notch vocals of Fish. However, when in possession of a talent such as his, why not exploit it?

If we talk about the story of the album, it is very much jaded, and while there is a concept, it develops poorly. The songs fail to effectively segue into each other(barring some exceptions) making it at times seem like a collection of singles.

A Fish depressed is a Fish at his best. The combination of Fish's vocal's and Kelly's and Rothery's subtle mastery combine beautifully for tear inducing performances. At times this album reaches unparallel greatness ("Warm Wet Circles") but at times it does fall on its face ("Incommunicado"). Luckily, the good moments greatly outweigh the bad. The remastered edition with a second disk of bonus tracks is greatly recommended if you decide (as you should) to purchase this album.