Smartly using Jonathan’s synthesizer in place of a third guitar, Settlefish adds a different element to the chaotic soundscape that marks the compositions on dance a while, upset as paradoxical, intentionally human even through completely electronic instruments. Keeping along with the focus on the keyboards, Jonathan makes it the most versatile part of the band; the beat of “On Symmetry Pebbles” pokes a hole into one’s soul with each beat, only to disappear at points with distortion that eventually wins over all instruments. “Camouflage Iris” does as much for At the Drive-In style spoken vocals as An Albatross has done for the Anal Cunt-style of song topic, in that both have infused a seemingly overused style with a new-found melody, and by doing that, they have revolutionized a trite style of music. A great deal of Settlefish’s allure is how they take a popular style of music and go onto a completely different path than it has been used, specifically in “The Beauty that Corrodes” and “Breeze”. In “The Beauty that Corrodes”, the late eighties-early nineties style of grunge-rock that both Nirvana and Wish-era Cure used is modified into a sedate opening to the song, and in “Breeze”, the bouncy pop-punk vocals a la Saves the Day and Yellowcard is put alongside swirly guitars and deadpan synthesizer to add another dimension to one of the most popular styles of vocal delivery – just on the first song!
Highlight of CD : Breeze
Rating : 7.3/10
Settlefish – dance a while, upset / 2003 Deep Elm Records / 10 Songs / http://www.settlefish.com / http://www.deepelm.com
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com