FOP SYMPOSIUM 2005: REVIEW #7

Do you know, the consistently amazing and highly benevolent Fluffy from up at that veritable house of comfort-and-joy Fluffy As A Cat was one of the most enthusiastic respondents to our call for participation in the 2005 Symposium. She bloody WAS. Then we didn't put up her work and she probably hates us which would be QUITE FAIR ENOUGH. She is a forgiving sort though, we hope, (at least, she forgave us when we drunkenly took it on ourselves to jiggle her culturally significant bosomry about in a mirthful manner in a public house a time ago) and maybe we can make amends by putting up her fantastic piece about 5 months late. And she basically liked the song, too! (What the FUCK is going on here, are you asking? Just look at THIS perhaps .)

REVIEW BY FLUFFY FROM FLUFFY AS A CAT I must thank William for asking me to take part in the Symposium this year, if only for the fact that I've never been asked to write about music before but have always had pocketfuls of interesting things to say about it. I've amused countless bystanders at various gigs over the years with snide and pithy observations and words suffixed with "esque" so it's high time I was asked to give a review. But enough about me! Let's take a look at The Little Trees, "Help, I'm A Fish! (I'm A Little Yellow Fish)".

Musically, think Kylie's Locomotion. The Little Trees have leant the whole mix an underwater edge by layering an echo on the vocal and an effect I can best describe as 'wobbles'. A bit like the sea! "Instruments" consist solely of synthesized interpretations so far removed from the original that the product bears no relevance (to humans playing guitars, drums, etc) but an uplifting Communardsesque (!) faux piano bassline promised in the intro was sadly absent from all but the chorus.

Lyrically, there's a little yellow fish in the deep blue sea, and for some reason she needs helping, and/or saving. This is curious, because you'd think a little yellow fish would more likely need helping/saving if she were anywhere but in the deep blue sea. But this everything this little fish knew has changed, and it was via a 'magic potion'. Is this a human turned into a magic fish by way of the Dark Arts? Or does she just think she's a little yellow fish because she's taken some insane dance party drugs?

The vocal is a bit weak but shows off some sass in the "help me help me" chorus and definitely endearing Dance Mix Hall of Fame aspiration in the big closing chorus with an overlaid "won't somebody help me" worthy of Holly Valance. This song, like a spritzy pink champagne, is a bit rich at first goes down much better after the fourth or fifth round.