Beardfish – Songs For Beating Hearts

Following a break that lasted from 2015 to 2023, attributed by the band to what they refer to as “various issues,” Beardfish has come together once more and unveiled their ninth album, Songs For Beating Hearts. The reunion was prompted by feelings of nostalgia, as guitarist and vocalist Rikard Sjoblem explains: “‘We started missing each other, amends had been made and we’d got back in touch. We met up and started to play and it felt like home .. these are my brothers..”

It’s a credit to Beardfish they’ve made their very welcome return with an album which sounds like they’ve just been biding their time while one of the band took time out on paternity leave, rather than being away the better part of a decade, with no detrimental impact on their ability to play together and create meaningful music. It’s even more of a credit when it’s realised Rikard Sjoblem has spent the last year recording and touring with Big Big Train.

The centrepiece of this album is ‘Out In The Open,’ a lengthy opus which goes by so quickly, it’s amazing to realise it runs from twenty minutes and is, says Sjoblem, “An ode to missing the other guys.” The whole album is an exercise in connecting with friends, it’s an emotionally resonant work touching on topics such as love, loss, friendship and finality (as some of this album was written around the time Sjoblem’s father passed away). ‘Out In The Open’ comes in five pieces, with the first and fifth just short instrumental clips, before the main sections begin, incorporating dreamy landscapes, folky touches and the occasional blast of hard rock; It’s a piece about finding your way back in relationships after falling out. It’s an unashamedly indulgent piece and all the better for it. The opening two sections have strong hints of Kansas about them and the third is largely just Sjoblem playing some melodic acoustic guitar while wondering “Who knows where the river of time wants to take us on our journey through life,” before the last two sections show Beardfish’s proggy roots to good effect.

A lengthy piece like this usually closes an album but, here, it’s followed by several other tunes which are at least as good. ‘Beating Hearts’ sees the band ramping it up on what’s the album’s rockiest track where they ask “But, who’ll hold your hand in the morning when all dreams must end.” The prog folky element comes to the fore on ‘In The Autumn,’ redolent of Jethro Tull and Solstice, with an unnamed female vocalist adding her voice to good effect. The album concludes with the powerful ‘Torrential Downpour,’ built around a pulsating riff and ending with a superb guitar workout from Sjoblem.

This is definitely an album which will make fans pleased Beardfish have finally come back together, as well as hope it won’t be another eight years untill they follow up what is a very strong release.