No Ordinary Fish. The name itself conjures expectations beyond the usual shoal, doesn’t it? And their new single, “I Wonder,” largely delivers on that peculiar promise. It’s a track that sidles up rather than storms in, Exeter’s four-piece crafting a slow-burn narrative of party-lit paranoia and eventual, crucial self-affirmation.
Debbie Pearce’s voice steers us through this emotional labyrinth. We’re right there with her, feeling that familiar clench of insecurity as a partner’s attention drifts across a crowded room. Yet, what begins as a questioning gaze outward “I wonder what she’s saying to you” beautifully inverts into a powerful statement of intrinsic value “I’m the best you ever had”. It’s a wonderfully human pivot. The harmonies with Stu Pearce, whose bass lines anchor the song’s wandering thoughts, add a rich, conversational depth, preventing it from becoming a solitary lament.
The song builds with a sort of lounge-bar theatricality, a torch song perhaps, but one that’s traded its sequins for something more introspective, something with indie sensibilities. It’s this eclectic character that draws you in; like suddenly noticing the intricate, dust-fine patterns on a moth’s wing, the music, guided by Rich Booth’s subtly jazz-tinged guitar and Joe Martin’s steady drumming, reveals unexpected textures beneath its pop/rock surface.
There’s a quiet defiance in the narrator’s conviction, a plea for recognition that feels less like begging and more like a final, hopeful laying of cards on the table.
“I Wonder” doesn’t offer tidy resolutions. Instead, it lingers, prompting thoughts about the perplexing emotional tides of others, and the resilient clarity it takes to know your own worth even when the spotlight seems to be shifting. In the quiet aftermath, what really stops us from truly seeing what’s right there?
