Fish And Scale (the musical moniker for Roland Wälzlein) is a folk artist with an immense sense of authenticity, something highly valued within the modern folk community. He’s been growing a dedicated fan base in recent months, with June release Wonderful showing exactly why his music is so beloved. It’s a fantastic EP, showing a lot of soul and character. Find out more about Wonderful here.
By Jane Howkins
Wonderful kicks off in true folk style with Stay! It’s quite stripped-down at first, opening with a pretty strummed acoustic guitar melody. Occasional piano trickles can be heard as well, adding a catchy element to this soulful tune. The vocals are raw, but they suit the style of music well, sounding incredibly soulful and emotive. It’s a fantastic opener and one that should appeal to anyone into their folk music.
Don’t Care adds more of an old school rock and roll/retro folk sound into the mix, changing things up massively. It’s a bit more upbeat, containing some catchy percussion that runs well against the piano and guitars. An organ can also be heard in the background, adding more to the vintage feel of the music. The chorus really elevates things, creating an infectious singalong quality.
Feel is up next, taking the tempo back down again. It’s actually quite jazzy at times, especially in terms of the piano style used, opening the song nicely with Roland’s vocal delivery. The track slowly builds up, drawing you in as it progresses. The backing vocals are used exceedingly well, creating some gorgeous harmonies against the lead vocals. It’s brilliantly written, using a fantastic chord sequence that really captivates the heart.
Title track Wonderful is also the closing song, opening with another jazzy piano melody. It’s more of a ballad, creating a minimalist quality that really accentuates Roland’s vocals. Roland reaches some real high notes here, showing a fantastic range. It’s an interesting choice of closing song, but it works surprising well.
Wonderful shows an artist that isn’t afraid to change the genre boundaries, as every track on Fish and Scale’s EP release is different to the last. This is certainly something to be proud of, ensuring there really is something here for every music taste.
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