Fluidity - Slip Away

Hear The Track Here

When you start to spend a sh*tload of time doing what I'm doing, one of its simple pleasures is to watch artists grow and develope, especially if you catch them at the very beginning and track them all the way through. Such was the case with me and New Zealand's Fluidity. I firdst met John Paul Carroll (aka Fluidity) when I reviewed First Time (January 2006) where it became obvious that Fluidity wasn't just a bandname; it was a damn attitude as well. Frolm that track to this, Fluidity has honed his sound and production tricks, and seriously tightened up his songwriting; so much so that (as far as I am aware) Did It Again snared his first ever Must Have from this reviewer. There again, why should he worry 'bout it, he has enough highly recommendeds for the nonce...

For the nonce eh? God, ain't English cute???

I've always thought Fluidity had more to with rock than any other genre but I guess it would fit the Alternative tag too, especially on a track like Slip Away. Having said that, the JPC goes and muddies the waters even further by getting some very classy prog rock licks in and an arrangement that has more bends than errr a bendy thing. I think I am still having the rosy afterglow of Did It Again because Slip Away took a dogs age to finally click with me. I know for a fact that everything that appears in a Fluidty track is absolutely supposed to be there, but there is something in this track that I find distinctly jarring and I can't seperate out what it is; arrangement or chords. Still, this is chump change because I'm probably the only nitpicker within light years who would even spot something like that - that's how sad I am.

What most people would get from Slip Away is the sense of an artist completely at home with what he is doing and - by the sounds of it - having a great time into the bargain. That spirit has informed everything he has done this year, and it is a pleasure to hear it. Having said that, I don't really feel that Slip Away has anything like the impact his last couple of tracks have had - at least with this reviewer. Not that there is anything wrong with the track, except that odd bit I've already mentioned, and there is lots that is absolutely right with it. Certainly if the words alternative and rock float your boats, then Fluidity should work its magic with you too. That's the problem with highspots innit? It always becomes such an obstacle to overcome them.

Recommended Alternative.