Fisherman’s Blues is the sound of a band cracking their knuckles and throwing out the rulebook, for better and for occasionally worse. It’s a sprawling, shambling blend of folk, rock, and Celtic soul that sometimes feels like a drunken jam session in a pub at closing time—and I don’t mean that as an insult. When it works, it really works. The title track and “And a Bang on the Ear” are joyous and rich, full of fiddles, longing, and big open-hearted energy. I do think the looseness of the record works both for and against it. There are moments of real magic, but also patches that drift or feel like they belong on a different record entirely. It’s like a treasure hunt, but some of the gold turns out to be just pretty convincing brass. Still, it never fully loses its charm. For me, this album lives in that middle zone of being great company, even if it’s not always sharp. It’s a grower, not a showstopper, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want.