+4626-COMFORTZONE
Beardfish give +4626-COMFORTZONE a clear shape without removing their usual unpredictability. The Swedish band move between vintage progressive rock, direct songs and heavier guitar passages, with Rikard Sjöblom's voice providing a strong connection. The performances are detailed, but the memorable melodies matter as much as the skill. A few weaker songs interrupt the flow, yet the larger arrangement gives the album a convincing sense of purpose.
The three parts of The One Inside help create that connection. The opening introduces a theme that returns later in different forms. Part 2, My Companion Through Life, puts an acoustic guitar and a more restrained vocal delivery at the front. The music becomes fuller around them without losing the quieter character of the opening. The closing part, Relief, brings the same material into a more urgent setting.
Hold On is a stronger display of the band's playful side. A lively bass line, changing vocal intensity and busy instrumental breaks keep the long song moving. Comfort Zone is more reflective, using recurring guitar figures and piano to support a particularly clear melody. Both show how complex playing can strengthen a song without becoming its only attraction.
If We Must Be Apart (A Love Story Continued) takes the most extended route. Acoustic passages, older organ colours and expressive lead guitar give the arrangement several different levels. The ending adds weight, but the song remains connected to the emotional tension that came before it. Its length has a clearer justification than a simple need to demonstrate every player's range.
The heavier songs are less consistent. King and Daughter / Whore provide force, but their hooks are not as distinctive as the stronger melodic material. Ode To The Rock'n'Roller has a playful character that also sits slightly apart from the rest of the sequence. These are useful changes of mood without always feeling essential.
The returning theme gives the final stretch a strong foundation, helping the album feel like more than a collection of separate ideas. Beardfish remain close to familiar progressive rock sounds, but their best writing has character beyond those references. +4626-COMFORTZONE is an engaging mixture of clear songs, restless playing and genuine emotional contrast, with enough focus to make its larger ambitions work.
