'Fin' by Archie the Goldfish

It's been said a million times in a million different ways but, as we all now know, everything that has a beginning... has an end.

And it doesn't always need to be a sad thing - some of the best stories in the world have epic conclusions that resonate with us for years after their closing sentiment.  In this case, it's now the time to bid farewell to the inspired narrative as woven by Archie the Goldfish.

As the brainchild of Chris Bestwick and Graeme Flowers, Archie the Goldfish began life in 2020 - during the dark days of face masks and hand sanitizer - as a way for teh friends to maintain the flex of their musical muscle.  Over the course of the years that passed, Bestwick and Flowers would go on to release three EPs and two standalone singles, recruiting an excellent array of collaborators as part of the journey.

Guitarist Chris Bestwick boasts a resume that has seen him perform alongside revered names including James Taylor and Ali Slimani as well as creating music as part of the Finnish collective Timeforsoul and most recently as part of the tram 92 duo alongside Anthony Barilla.  Bestwick's credentials are matched by his Archie the Goldfish collaborator, Graeme Flowers, who not only served as a member of the funk & soul band Down to the Bone but has also chalked-up performances with the Brand New Heavies and Kyle Eastwood among countless more names.

'Fin' finds Bestwick & Flowers bringing Archie back to its instrumental roots with four sleak numbers that pay delicious homage to the duo's music up to this point in time.  From the vibrant big band-esque 'Karma Piranha' that opens the EP to the introspective lament of 'Archie Sleeps with the Fishes' that closes it, the EP is a wonderful tribute to Archie's seven-year journey that will hopefully go on to find new discovery from music enthusiasts in time to come.

Through past reviews, we often pontificated about the concept behind Archie the Goldfish even asking whether the duo's music was something of a reflection of how the proverbial 'Archie' sees the world from its bowl.  One thing that does now seem apparent is that Archie was very much a product of its time.  From its genesis during the bleak and testing quarantine period - where creativity was a saving grace for artists - to its witty stance on the burgeoning impact of AI on the arts, astutely observed through their EP, 'Archiefishal Intelligence'.  Even musically, Archie proudly displayed his penchant for a musical gumbo of styles from jazz and jazz fusion to neo-soul and R&B stylings, and even drawing from broader sonic palettes at times, all gifting listeners some exceptional releases in the process.

'Fin' may bring the story to its natural conclusion, but the music they've left behind feels anything but final. Like all good stories, Archie's journey ends here — but its ripples will continue to travel outward for some time yet.