Blue Eyed Shark Experiment – The Fluffer
Review by Jack Foley
BLUE Eyed Shark is a highly interesting character and a richly entertaining music performer.
First off, he takes his nickname from a female friend due to the colour of his eyes, as well as his friends calling him a ‘shark’. The ‘Experiment’ refers to his band.
Adopted at six weeks and growing up under the watchful eye of his Bolivian Godfather, surrounded by Andalucians and Columbians (including the great Garcia Marques), The Blue Eyed Shark certainly had a different start.
With the passing of his father at age eight, trouble in his teens, broken hearts in the early twenties and then cancer (thankfully removed and diagnosed gone) – he has endured ups and downs, but remained fiercely resolute throughout.
It’s little wonder that some of these experiences have helped to shape his debut album, The Fluffer, which takes the listener on a diverse journey through styles and influences, while confirming BES as a bona fide entertainer in his own right.
The album is positively alive with energy and astute observations, born out of BES’ experiences to this point. For instance, there’s the deeply personal, such as What To Do, which details his cancer scare, or the outraged Generation, which bemoans “the sound of a generation so fucked up”, or the optimistic breeziness of Tapdance to underline his diversity.
But no matter what he’s singing about, BES retains a high level of quality that makes the album a deeply pleasurable listen.
Vocally, too, BES has a deeply relaxed kind of vibe about him, while musically he also contributes guitars, synths and keys to the LP – as if to underline his talent.
Of the real highlights, though, it’s moments like the airy piano opening of The Fluffer, which stand out, as well as the likes of the aforementioned What To Do, the tender, reassuring Beautiful and the foot-stomping statement of intent that is Generation, which wraps an emphatic beat around the harder piano arrangements.
BES also throws in the odd moment to wrong-foot the listener, dropping an Ibiza-friendly dance-floor vibe over Jetplane (inspired by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic launch) that really succeeds in getting you moving.
Rain, meanwhile, has a brave troubadour quality that puts a hopeful, defiant slant on a bad situation (“my fears, I put them aside, no mountain too tall, I had nowhere to hide”) that’s also utterly inspiring.
Album closer Ticket Outta Here, meanwhile, ends things on a similarly happy go-lucky vibe, declaring that he’s gonna buy a ticket out of here so that you don’t have to see him anymore. The handclap vibe, the samples, and the breezy piano arrangements all contribute to a notable farewell from BES that positively guarantees you’ll be looking forward already to his return.
Download picks: What To Do, Ticket Outta Here, Jetplane, The Fluffer, Generation, Beautiful
Track listing: