On September 25, Fish, known among other things from his membership in the neo-prog band "Marillion", released a double album called "Weltschmerz".
This is the 11th studio album by Scottish singer Derek William Dick, who goes by the stage name Fish, and is also his first in 7 years.
As of this writing, this album looks like the "swan song" of Fish, who has expressed several times in the past that he intends to retire from music. This time he probably really meant it with a double album, rich in music summarizing over 30 years of a solo career.
The three clips released from the album nicely summarize the mix of styles that can be found in the album, progressive, folk, Celtic music and more. But more than that, looking at the song titles chosen by Fish to represent the album, it is very hard not to wonder if Fish chose these songs to spread hints about his planned retirement and the reasons for it.
On March 13, 2020, Fish released the music video for the theme song "Weltschmerz" which its translation from German means "the pain of the world". This is a sharp commentary on the state of the world, as seen through Fish's eyes.
Later, Fish released the music video for the song "Garden of Remembrance" which talks about Alzheimer's disease. An emotional and melancholic song led by piano playing wrapped in Fish's soothing and caressing voice.
About a week before the release of the album, the single and music video "This Party's Over" was released It sounds to us like a combination of Peter Gabriel with Celtic music, which Fish experimented with during his solo career, especially starting with the album "Internal Exile". "This party's over" sings Fish, and this time he probably really means it.
The album also includes long and complex compositions such as "The Rose of Damascus" which is almost 16 minutes long and is divided into 6 sections that tell the story of a Syrian refugee.
The song "Waverley Steps (End of the Line)" is no less complex and its length reaches almost 14 minutes, when its title again makes us wonder if this time it really is "End of the Line"...
The list of songs:
CD 1 (42:12)
1. Grace of God (8:19)
2. Man with a Stick (6:27)
3. Walking on Eggshells (7:18)
4. This Party's Over (4:22)
5. Rose of Damascus (15:45)
CD 2 (42:18)
1. Garden of Remembrance (6:07)
2. C Song (The Trondheim Waltz) (4:41)
3. Little Man What Now? (10:54)
4. Waverley Steps (End of the Line) (13:45)
5. Weltschmerz (6:51)
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music