Fish-Internal Exile (1991)

After leaving Marillion, Fish debuted with "Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors", a work that, in some ways, was very much a continuation of what he was doing with his former band, showcasing a brilliant, reflective, and moving neo-progressive sound. After this first album, it wasn't long before the Scottish giant made another move, releasing his second album, "Internal Exile", just a year later. On this album, he continued in that neo-progressive direction but placed more emphasis on the lyrics and vocals, at the expense of the long instrumental passages, which are shorter and more concise, while still incorporating certain folk and Celtic sounds. Songs like the energetic "Shadowplay" recall Marillion's album "Misplaced Childhood", with its dazzling and precise rhythm, while the uplifting "Credo" and "Tongues" move towards heavy and raw rock. On the other hand, "Just Good Friends" and "Dear Friend" become the most accessible and commercial tracks, contrasting with the moving and powerful "Lucky." In Fish's own words, with this album he wanted to capture "a collection of stories of young people" inspired by his home country, and indeed, his reflective and poetic lyrics are part of the album's appeal and are, without a doubt, small works of art in themselves.