FOP SYMPOSIUM 2005: REVIEW #5

Ooh goodness, we're a bit late in finishing this, aren't we. (Over here is an explanation of what this is ALL ABOUT.) It's quite alright for us to be slovenly when we haven't implicated other people, but when our gorgeous blogger chums have busted a veritable gut at our behest and then we forget what we're meant to be doing because we decide to create a miniature map of Sweden using four differnt glitters/think we've found nude pictures of Mark Ruffalo, it isn't really acceptable. Anyway, no-one's been more patient in waiting for their contribution to the Fop Symposium to be "put up" than our recent discovery, the brilliant Original Screaming Queen, who is happily back in the country in one piece after a spell traipsing round the damn globe. He wasn't too fussed on the Little Trees, however. It's a bit upsetting for us, but we ARE pleased to note that someone has done some proper research into the advent of the Screaming Little Trees and the animated oeuvre in which they were so effectively deployed...read on...

REVIEW BY J(ADED) FROM ORIGINAL SCREAMING QUEEN
The title track from the European animated feature of the same name, Help! I’m A Fish by Danish teenage trio Little Trees reeks of that early 90’s bubblegum pop made “famous” by that other Danish pop group Aqua. The combination of sugary, garbled vocals and electro-overtones attempts to immerse the listener into an underwater world. Help! I’m drowning!

A quick skim of the lyrics had me scratching my head so I decided to research the basic plot of the film to get a sense of what is going on. In a nutshell, a cocky teenager, his little sister and their ‘wimpish, intellectual cousin’ stumble upon a discarded magic potion while fishing. Naturally, they drink it (?) and as a result are turned into subterranean creatures and spend the better part of 77 minutes trawling the ocean in search of an antidote. Somewhat labelled the anti-Nemo animation, the film supposedly delves into darker themes than its Disney predecessor.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to have carried through to the soundtrack. Hardly lions and tigers and bears, oh my! By its own admission, “it wasn’t such a big commotion”. Said fish (former cocky teenager) seems to be torn between fulfilling some childhood fantasies with his love of the deep blue and the resulting strangeness (and insignificance) that accompanies his full-body transformation. Is this some metaphor for life? As someone once said, “Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath." How apt.

Less mature than the Newman-esque orchestral sounds of the Disney conglomerate, this track would appeal to a younger audience. But that’s not to say a trance remix of an ambient nature could not fill a dance floor in clubland.

Little yellow fish you have bitten off more than you can chew but don’t worry, in 30 seconds you won’t remember a thing about this disaster! If only I could say the same.