Varna-based Bulgarian band Crowfish has achieved a status where the release of their new album is a big event, no matter what we think about them. After the awesome “Requiem for a Broken Heart”, which shattered allegations that Bulgarian bands can write only poor mediocre music, they toured their asses off around Europe, not forgetting the fatherland as well. People who’ve seen them know what a well functioning and great sounding band they’re live. Their fourth album continues the evolutionary direction the previous ones have settled - further away from punk rock and deeper into alternative territory. It all starts wit the energetic “V”, which sets the mood for the whole album - melodic, emotional, romantic, and inspiring at the same time. Things continue in the same spirit with “This Feeling”, which is a long-time live favorite. Experts advise you to listen to this early in the morning to fully appreciate its beauty. “There Is No Beginning Only Ending” follows a slightly different song structure than the other tracks and escorts us into more progressive music territories. The main course is the closing track “Life Is Just an Imitation of a Dream”, which lasts for 8 minutes during which Chavdar (vocals, guitars) sings over pretty much the same repeating riff so emotionally you can’t help feeling the song along with him, even if you have no idea what he sings about (because there are no lyrics in the booklet - why?). As I mentioned singing - it has always been one of Crowfish’s finest qualities, as there is no other vocalist like that in Bulgaria. And when we add the nice progressive guitar work, the stable drumming, the thick bass, along with the wide span of ideas - the result is impressive. And it sounds great. If you play this album on any kind of stereo, speakers, headphones - it won’t sound like a fart, unlike many other Bulgarian albums who only achieve a not irritating sound quality at their best. “IV” is the Bulgarian album of the year, and there is no question about it even if you don’t like this kind of music so much. The quality is just crushingly good.