Review: Catfish – Time To Fly

Self-Release (March 23^rd 2025)

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Sometimes life is monumentally unfair, the scales of natural justice feel colossally unbalanced. A case in point? A young man aged just 27 contracting bowel cancer and eventually losing his life to it in October last year. The young man in question was Matt Long, vocalist/guitarist/ frontman for the excellent Catfish, a wonderful band, who should have been huge, and who has rightly disbanded since his untimely passing.

So, this album was completed since Matt’s death and has been released posthumously at the insistence of Matt’s family … and what a gem it is too. Paul Long has lovingly curated a series of unfinished tracks and demos, and to his eternal credit, has forged them into a stunning complete album, that acts as a very fitting epitaph to Matt’s life and the band’s career.

I had initially (and quite wrongly) believed that all the vocals on the album were sung by Matt, when in actual fact, the vocals on ‘Don’t Turn Around’, ‘Forevermore & Again’, ‘Broken Halo’, and ‘Lost In Autumn’ were actually all sung by Paul. ‘Forevermore & Again’ was actually found as a voice note on Matt’s phone. You can hear Matt effectively singing backing vocals to Paul, which is really quite stunning.

Opening with the rich and glorious title track, the sheer power and majesty of the band shines through. Think Bad Company at their most powerful, with luscious female backing vocals accompanying Matt’s gorgeous voice. The song is driven by a colossal riff and is simply perfect in every respect. ‘Change My Ways’ is an almost Grunge sounding romp, a sledgehammer heavy riff driven by a pounding rhythm.  The guitar is almost Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) or Tad Doyle (Tad) in its raucous onslaught, it’s a towering powerhouse of a song.

‘Don’t Turn Around’ is fascinating, while lyrically it’s deeply introspective, musically the band almost channels a powerful fusion of Pink Floyd, Mostly Autumn, and Gov’t Mule – it’s a truly epic beast of a song. Paul’s voice is joined by powerful female backing vocals courtesy of Chloe Josephine, it’s a true monster. Listening to the fury of Matt’s vocals and lyrics of ‘Sick Of It All’, you get the distinct feeling that Matt is raging at his physical condition and the hopelessness he feels. Musically it’s another big riff fuelled monster, with rich keyboards working beautifully alongside the guitars.

‘Forevermore & Again’ is subtle, and achingly beautiful, with soft keyboards accompanied by sparce gentle guitars, and a gorgeous vocal from Paul, again it feels deeply introspective and very personal. ‘Lost In Autumn’ is a classic blues track, with some tasteful guitar and keyboard interplay. Matt cuts loose with some sublime lead work, it’s a timeless blues lament. Lyrically, again you feel that Paul is singing about his brother’s own short life expectancy, which adds to the sadness of the track.

‘Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’ features sone fiery guitars, thick Hammond organs, punchy rhythms, and another impassioned vocal, it’s instantly become a favourite with me, it just finds the band in colossal form. ‘Broken Halo’ is a song that brings to mind Bad Company jamming with ‘Indian Warrior’ era Havana Black and Molly Hatchet at their most mainstream, it’s a veritable firecracker of a number.

Finally, the album ends with the gigantic and emotional rollercoaster that is ‘Say The Word’. Again, you feel the band is channelling Pink Floyd and Mostly Autumn at their mist commanding. It’s subtle yet conversely overwhelmingly powerful, and features some of the most beautiful fretwork I’ve heard in a very long while. Clocking in at just short of eleven minutes, it is an absolutely perfect coda for the album, and a stunning musical and lyrical farewell from Matt. ‘Time To Fly’ is a glorious album, and a wonderful requiem to a truly remarkable and lamented talent. Goodbye Matt Long … and thank you – from all of us.

Tracklist:

1. Time To Fly
2. Change My Ways
3. Don’t Turn Around
4. Sick Of It All
5. Forevermore And Again
6. Lost In Autumn
7. Breaking Up Somebody’s Home
8. Broken Halo

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