It’s hard to be a fish. It’s even harder to be an artist in the vast ocean that is the music industry.
With three previous studio albums under their belt, alongside collaborations with David Byrne, a song feature in Netflix smash hit Heartstopper, and the coveted role of representing Australia at Eurovision in 2021, you’d think that singer songwriter Jess Cerro, or more accurately their stage moniker Montaigne, would be a household name across the globe by now. But despite the benefits that come with being signed to a major label, releasing music as a queer artist of colour inevitably means drowning amongst a sea of other acts all snapping at the same bait.
The release of it’s hard to be a fish, Montaigne’s first album as a fully independent artist, sees them at last becoming captain of their own ship. Harnessing complete creative control over the record, Cerro states that “Every sound was patiently and meticulously discovered, picked, and processed.” This ethos extended to the production, allowing them to finally fully capture their expansive vision.
An avid gamer and Twitch streamer, Cerro found themselves drawing upon the vast realm of RPGs in meticulously crafting this sonic adventure – one that floats along through varying levels of escapism and brutal reality. It’s their reality – one of familial estrangement, childhood abuse, survival, and self discovery – that forms the lyrical basis of the album. Yet despite delivering raw, unflinching honesty, Montaigne isn’t fishing for sympathy. By being able to process their past, they gain understanding, empathy, and above all, acceptance.
Brisk opening track ‘keep going!’ serves as a blurb of the story to come. Dreamy vocals ebb and flow over chirping birds, while an R&B breakbeat keeps the track grounded. In a bold shift from delicate pirouetting into Raygun style absurdity, ‘talking shit’ breezily tackles the heavy topics of gaslighting and manipulation by smashing together glitchy samples with multiple references to phalluses. In harking back to the jittery hyperpop of their last album making it!, the track feels somewhat out of place amongst this record’s more emotive tone, yet there’s no denying its mix of frankness and freakishness make for an eccentric ear worm.
Opening with little more than stripped back piano, ‘get older’ reels things in, diving into a state of melancholia. Recalling feeling trapped in their childhood household, Cerro’s wavering voice builds and builds, a flurry of sounds swirling around them as they come up for air, finally old enough to escape the suffocating waters.
Taking a page out of the books of Shakespeare and Hemingway, ‘beyond the glass’ bemoans those that can’t see beyond the barriers they’ve built around themselves. Presenting a sound that’s shiny and pristine, all the while lacking the vastness of some of the other tracks, it conjures up the image of an aquarium – the perfect analogy. Picking up the pace, ‘everybody else’ puts forward a vibrant sea of synths, juxtaposing the deep hurt of generational trauma revealed within the song’s lyrics.
The carefully crafted soundscape of ‘somewhere…?’ serves as the album’s intermission, evoking a ship sailing treacherous waters, before ultimately sinking. ‘swim back’ emerges as the aftermath – a steadfast decision to resist returning to the wreckage, and instead going on to forge a new life. A delicate, string led number that showcases Cerro’s breathtaking vocal range, it’s a subdued yet powerful highlight.
It’s on ‘so fast in the water’ that the aforementioned video game influences shine the brightest. Brimming with childlike wonder for the waters beyond, with each stroke of shimmering synths Cerro emerges, having found their fins at last. On ‘best case scenario’, striking keys intwine with cinematic vocals, building into a climax worthy of a standing ovation. Luckily, we are treated to an encore in the form of guitar driven finale ‘all about the money’, a brash and brazen take down of maternalistic expectations.
After being trapped in a tank full of expectations for so long, its hard to be a fish sees Montaigne finally find the freedom to fully express their authentic self, reshaping their past traumas into enigmatic and engaging alt-pop.
it’s hard to be a fish is out now.
